Two dominant curling teams emerged from a modified qualification process aimed at selecting Canada’s top contenders for the upcoming Milan-Cortina Olympics.
Curling Canada successfully achieved its goal with Rachel Homan leading her Ottawa team to victory in the women’s division and Brad Jacobs guiding his Calgary rink to the men’s title at the Montana’s Canadian Curling Trials held over the weekend.
Curling Canada CEO Nolan Thiessen expressed satisfaction with the results, stating, “At the end of the day, I think that’s our two hardest-working, most dedicated teams, and it showed.”
Both finals were decisive 2-0 victories in the newly implemented best-of-three final format.
Homan, along with vice Tracy Fleury, second Emma Miskew, and lead Sarah Wilkes, narrowly defeated hometown favorite Christina Black 5-4 in Game 1 before dominating with a 12-3 win in Game 2 on Saturday.
In a showdown between the top two men’s teams in the Canadian rankings, Jacobs and his team secured two close wins against Matt Dunstone’s Winnipeg squad, with scores of 9-8 in Game 1 and 6-5 in Game 2.
“I think it accomplished what we wanted it to accomplish,” Thiessen remarked. “It was a really good change for us.”
The previous Trials finals format, which featured single-game eliminations, often led to heightened tension due to the unpredictability, especially when ice conditions varied, as seen during the competition at Scotiabank Centre.
Black emerged as a surprise contender, making it to the playoffs by the skin of her teeth after needing favorable outcomes on cut-down day. The 21st-ranked team upset second-ranked Kerri Einarson in the semifinals and came close to upsetting Homan in Game 1.
Homan Poised as Olympic Front-Runner
Homan’s team, ranked first globally, displayed their wealth of experience in high-stakes games, particularly evident in Game 2. Homan, a five-time national champion and three-time world champion, will be making her third consecutive Winter Games appearance.
Miskew, who played third in Homan’s 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic team, reunited with Homan in the 2022 Beijing Games for mixed doubles but fell short of a podium finish once again.
“You dream of going back and until you get in that moment where you can say that you’re going, you don’t believe it’s actually going to happen,” Miskew reflected. “So the fact that we’re going back to the Olympics is pretty crazy. We’re really excited.”
Fleury, who narrowly missed out in the 2021 Trials final against Jennifer Jones, and Wilkes will be making their Olympic debuts.
Jacobs, an Olympic gold medalist in 2014 in Sochi, Russia, achieved success with a different team. Kennedy and Hebert secured gold in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics under skip Kevin Martin.
In 2018, Kennedy and Hebert returned to the Olympics with skip Kevin Koe, while Gallant clinched Olympic bronze in 2022 on a team led by Brad Gushue.
This Olympic cycle marks the first time Curling Canada has allowed athletes to compete in both team and mixed doubles events at the Games. Gallant earned his mixed doubles spot last season alongside Jocelyn Peterman.
“It’s been a lot of hard work over the years to get to achieve some of these goals,” Gallant noted. “So to see some of it pay off, it’s an amazing feeling.
“I’m really looking forward to doing double duty over there.”
Competition is set to commence on February 4
