Kerri Einarson maintained her perfect record in the Canadian Olympic curling trials by securing a 6-5 victory over Kayla Skrlik in Halifax on Tuesday evening. Einarson, hailing from Gimli, Manitoba, had already clinched a playoff berth before the match but secured her sixth win of the trials. The four-time Canadian women’s champion managed to score a single point in the final frame against Calgary’s Skrlik, who now stands at 2-4 in the competition.
Reflecting on her team’s performance, Einarson expressed satisfaction with their unity and resilience throughout the tournament. Meanwhile, Ottawa’s Rachel Homan also continued her strong showing with an 8-7 win over Kaitlyn Lawes, improving her record to 5-1.
Despite giving up a steal of three points in the seventh end, Homan, a two-time reigning Canadian and world champion, rallied back with two points in the eighth end and stole a single point in the ninth to secure a two-point lead. Homan praised her team’s resilience and determination in regaining control of the game.
Both Einarson and Homan have secured spots in the three-team playoffs and are scheduled to face off in a crucial round-robin finale on Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET to determine the top seed and earn a bye into the best-of-three finals. The team that finishes first in the round-robin standings will advance directly to the final, while the second and third seeds will compete in a semifinal match.
In the men’s afternoon session, former Olympic champions Brad Gushue and Brad Jacobs emerged victorious in their respective matches, leading to a three-way tie for first place. Gushue, representing St. John’s, secured an 8-6 win over Jordon McDonald from Winnipeg, while Jacobs and his Calgary team defeated John Epping from Toronto with a score of 6-4.
As the competition intensifies, Gushue, Jacobs, and Matt Dunstone from Winnipeg are currently tied for first place with 4-1 records heading into the final round-robin matches on Wednesday. Dunstone suffered his first loss of the trials on Tuesday afternoon, falling short against Kevin Koe from Calgary with a score of 5-4.
Elsewhere, Mike McEwen triumphed over Ryan Kleiter in a closely contested match between Saskatoon skips, with McEwen and Koe trailing closely behind the leaders at 3-2. Kleiter and Epping stand at 1-4, while McDonald remains winless at 0-5 in the tournament standings.
The winners of the men’s and women’s trials will have the honor of representing Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina, Italy.
