23 March: Canada’s Rachel Homan successfully defended her title at the World Women’s Curling Championship, securing a dominant 7-3 win over Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni in the final. This marks Homan’s second consecutive world title after defeating the same opponent in last year’s championship match held in Sydney, Nova Scotia.
Homan and her Ottawa-based team—Tracy Fleury, Emma Miskew, and Sarah Wilkes—made history as the first Canadian women’s curling team to repeat as world champions since Sandra Schmirler’s legendary squad did so in 1993 and 1994.
“My team threw incredibly well, and I knew exactly where to place the broom,” said Homan. “We’re proud to bring the gold back to Canada again. Winning back-to-back feels unreal.”
The turning point in the game came in the seventh end when Canada scored two points to gain a 4-3 lead. In the following end, Switzerland’s Alina Paetz missed a crucial draw, allowing Canada to steal two more points and extend the lead to 6-3. Another missed shot by Switzerland in the ninth end gave Canada a final steal, sealing the 7-3 victory as the Swiss conceded the game.
“This week has been a grind with so many back-to-back games,” Homan added. “We’re definitely exhausted, but we knew we had one last push in us.”
Canada wrapped up the round robin stage with a 10-2 record, placing third. Without a direct route to the semifinal, they overcame Scotland 10-4 in the qualification round, and pulled off a dramatic 6-5 win over South Korea in the semifinals thanks to a clutch double takeout that forced an extra end.
This championship marks the third world title for both Homan and Miskew, having previously won in 2017. For Fleury and Wilkes, it’s their second world gold.
Fleury, named the tournament’s all-star third, praised Homan’s performance: “She nailed every shot. That’s what makes her so tough to face—she can clear the house or draw to the pin whenever needed. She’s truly a weapon.”
Homan’s team now looks ahead to November’s Olympic trials in Halifax, where they’ll aim to earn the right to represent Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
Earlier in the day, China secured the bronze medal with a 9-4 win over South Korea.
