UIJEONGBU-SI – Rachel Homan of Canada secured a playoff position at the LGT World Women’s Curling Championship after claiming two victories on Thursday.
The reigning champion edged out Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni in a close 7-6 battle before delivering a dominant 11-2 win over Japan’s Sayaka Yoshimura at Uijeongbu Arena. With these victories, Homan and her Ottawa-based team—comprising Tracy Fleury, Emma Miskew, and Sarah Wilkes—advanced to an 8-2 record, placing them in a three-way tie for second alongside Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg and South Korea’s Eunji Gim.
Acknowledging the team’s approach, Miskew emphasized their focus on maintaining sharp gameplay. “We understand that mistakes will happen, but our goal is to recover and keep pushing forward,” she said.
Switzerland remained atop the 13-team standings at 9-1 following 17 sessions of round-robin matches. The top six teams will progress to the playoffs. Meanwhile, China’s Rui Wang and Scotland’s Sophie Jackson shared fifth place with a 6-4 record. Denmark’s Madeleine Dupont stood at 5-5, Norway’s Marianne Roervik at 5-6, and Italy’s Stefania Constantini at 4-6.
Canada is set to wrap up its round-robin matches on Friday with games against Italy and China. The playoff stage begins on Saturday, with the top two teams earning automatic spots in the afternoon semifinals, while the remaining four will compete in morning qualification matches. Championship medals will be decided on Sunday.
Miskew noted that their primary concern was finishing strong in their remaining matches. “Right now, our focus is on these last two games. If we secure a bye, that’s fantastic. If we have to play in the qualifier, we’ll be ready for that too,” she said.
Canada ended Switzerland’s unbeaten run in an intense showdown between the top-ranked teams globally. Homan praised her squad’s perseverance in what was a hard-fought win. “It took 11 ends to defeat them, and I’m incredibly proud of how we stuck together and kept making shots,” she said.
Beyond advancing in the tournament, Canada’s performance also ensured a near-certain spot in the women’s curling event at the 2026 Olympics. Expressing her excitement, Homan shared her pride in securing the qualification. “It means a lot to represent Canada and contribute enough points to secure an Olympic berth. That’s a huge achievement for us.”
The teams that emerge victorious in the Montana’s Canadian Curling Trials later this year will represent Canada in both the men’s and women’s curling events at the Olympics. The trials are scheduled for late November in Halifax.
Canada took control of the match against Japan early, establishing a 5-1 lead by the midway point. Homan sealed the victory in the eighth end with a well-executed runback, leaving her team sitting five. Yoshimura’s final draw fell short, leading to an early concession as both teams shook hands.
Homan previously defeated Tirinzoni in the 2024 world championship final held in Sydney, Nova Scotia.