Canada Remains in Playoff Hunt with Thrilling Women’s Curling Win
After a captivating three-hour battle filled with momentum swings and spectacular shots, Rachel Homan’s Canada has propelled themselves back into contention for a playoff spot at the Milano Cortina 2026 women’s curling competition. A precise takeout by Homan with the last rock of the tenth end secured a crucial 8-6 win against previously undefeated Anna Hasselborg of Sweden.
This victory marks Canada’s third consecutive win, improving their record to 4-3 and tying them with South Korea (Gim Eun-ji) for fourth place. The top four teams following Thursday’s round robin will advance to the semifinals. Currently, Sweden leads at 6-1, followed by Switzerland (Silvana Tirinzoni) and the United States (Tabitha Peterson) at 5-2. Sweden is the only team to have officially qualified for the playoffs.
Key Moments and Strategy
Homan, alongside her team of Tracy Fleury, Emma Miskew, and Sarah Wilkes, will face Stefania Constantini of Italy (2-5) on Wednesday evening and conclude the round robin against South Korea on Thursday afternoon. In the event of a two-way tie, the head-to-head result will be the deciding factor. For ties involving more than two teams, the last rock draw results will determine the outcome.
The game saw pivotal moments, including costly misses by Hasselborg and a stunning triple takeout by Homan. Homan’s exceptional skill was on full display in the eighth end with a difficult triple takeout, clearing the house of Swedish rocks and positioning Canada for a strong finish. “It was a huge moment for us to lie two and flip that end,” said Homan. “I wasn’t quite sold (the shot) was there. It looked tough to me, but the girls had belief and we swept it awesome. Had a great line call. A big team shot, a big change in the game.”
Hasselborg was then forced to leave Homan with a draw for two, giving Canada a 6-5 lead. In the ninth end, Sweden attempted to score two but Hasselborg’s final stone rolled too far, resulting in only a single point. This gave Canada the hammer in the final end, which they capitalized on to secure the victory.
A Show of Skill and Resilience
The fifth end featured a thrilling exchange of double take-outs between the skips, ultimately resulting in Sweden scoring three to take a 4-3 lead. However, Canada consistently scored deuces with the hammer in the second, eighth, and tenth ends, and added singles in the fourth and sixth.
The rivalry between Homan and Hasselborg is well-documented, with Homan now holding a 23-13 edge in victories, largely thanks to her recent success. The Canadian team has won 12 of their last 13 games against Sweden.
Other Results from Tuesday’s Games
- United States defeated Denmark 10-3
- Switzerland beat South Korea 7-5
- Italy beat Japan 8-6
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Source: Team Canada Official Website
