Calgary’s Kayla Skrlik achieved a significant victory at the Canadian curling trials held in Halifax on Sunday. Skrlik’s team triumphed over Ottawa’s Rachel Homan, the top-ranked women’s team globally, with a score of 8-7 in extra ends. This win ended Homan’s remarkable 32-game winning streak against Canadian teams, which had lasted for 413 days.
Reflecting on the victory, Skrlik expressed, “It’s a really confidence-boosting win, the best we could hope for in terms of confidence. However, we need to stay focused as it’s a long week ahead. We’re approaching each shot and game one at a time, especially when facing Rachel.”
Skrlik took the lead with a three-point ninth end to break the 4-4 tie. Despite Homan’s efforts to force an extra end by scoring three points in the 10th, Skrlik remained composed. Skrlik mentioned, “Going into the extra end with the hammer was all we could wish for, especially when facing a strong opponent like Rachel.”
Another notable match saw Halifax’s Christina Black securing her first win in the Olympic trials by defeating Winnipeg’s Kaitlyn Lawes 7-3. Meanwhile, Kerri Einarson’s team from Gimli, Manitoba, maintained an undefeated record at 3-0 with a dominating 9-1 win over Corryn Brown from Kamloops, British Columbia.
Additionally, Edmonton’s Selena Sturmay triumphed over Kate Cameron from St. Adolphe, Manitoba, with a score of 12-5. The ongoing competition also witnessed Brad Gushue from St. John’s and Matt Dunstone from Winnipeg both improving their records to 2-0 in the men’s category.
The ultimate winners from the men’s and women’s competitions will have the honor of representing Canada at the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, Italy.