Curling teams led by Rachel Homan and Brad Jacobs are currently in Virginia, Minn., representing Canada at the Pan Continental Curling Championships. These championships are serving as qualifiers for the 2026 men’s and women’s world championships.
Brad Jacobs, hailing from Calgary, kicked off round-robin play on Monday at 8 p.m. ET against Xiaoming Xu and the Chinese team. In a previous encounter last April in Moose Jaw, Sask., Jacobs and his team, consisting of Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant, and Ben Hebert, secured a bronze medal by defeating Xu’s team 11-2. The Glencoe Club quartet started strong with a three-point lead and extended their advantage with five points in the fourth end.
“We aimed to begin this competition with strength, maintain our pride, and secure a spot on the podium,” Jacobs expressed during the previous event.
Xu managed to pick up his first point by drawing against four counters in the third end. The turning point came in the fourth end when China missed an in-off shot, enabling Jacobs to secure a five-point lead.
On the other hand, Rachel Homan’s team, based at the Ottawa Curling Club, is vying to become the first repeat Pan Continental women’s champion after their victory last year in Lacombe, Alta. The women’s matches, taking place outside Canada for the first time in Minnesota, are set to commence on Tuesday at 10 a.m. ET, with Homan’s team facing off against Satsuki Fujisawa from Japan.
Moreover, the Canadian women’s rink has already secured a spot at next year’s women’s world championships as the host in March. Homan’s team includes Tracy Fleury as vice, Emma Miskew as second, Sara Wilkes as lead, and Rachelle Brown as alternate.
In a significant development, Brad Jacobs’ team is representing Canada for the first time after Brad Gushue’s rink participated in the initial three editions of the tournament. Jacobs is aiming for a top-five finish in Minnesota to guarantee Canada’s participation at next year’s men’s world championship scheduled from March 28 to April 5 in Ogden City, Utah.
“This presents a fantastic opportunity for us not only to fulfill our responsibilities for Canada but also to engage in high-stakes matches as preparation for the Montana’s Canadian Curling Trials in Halifax,” Jacobs commented in August.
Having secured a spot as the host country for the women’s world championship in Calgary from March 14-22, Canada is already guaranteed a place in the tournament. Homan, Tracy Fleury, Emma Miskew, and Sarah Wilkes triumphed in this year’s women’s world championship in Uijeongbu, South Korea.
“We understand the significance of representing our nation and are dedicated to preparing diligently for the upcoming matches in Minnesota this October,” stated Homan.