Curler Rich Ruohonen played in the United States’ 8-3 loss to Switzerland on Thursday, becoming the oldest Winter Olympian in American history.

Ruohonen, 54, was brought in as a one-stopper with the U.S. losing 8-2 and victory out of reach. Luohonen helped the American team score one point before conceding the game.

“It’s great. It’s difficult to do that in a losing situation,” Luohonen told reporters. “I’d rather have done it when we were winning 8-2 than losing 8-2. I’m really grateful to the players for giving me the opportunity.”

The oldest American to ever compete in the Winter Olympics was Joseph Savage, who was 52 years old when he participated in pairs skating at the 1932 Olympics. Archer Thomas Scott was the oldest American to compete in the Olympics, competing at the 1904 Games in St. Louis at the age of 71.

Ruohonen was an alternate on skip Danny Casper’s team, which defeated five-time Olympian John Shuster and his team at the U.S. Trials to qualify for the final chance to qualify for the Milan Games.