Canada’s Brad Jacobs emerged victorious in the men’s Pan Continental Curling Championship by defeating John Schuster of the United States with a score of 7-3 on Sunday. The Pan Continental serves as a regional qualifying event for countries aiming to compete in the 2026 men’s and women’s world championships.
Jacobs, who led his team to a bronze medal at the 2025 world championship in April, needed to finish among the top four teams to secure Canada’s spot in next year’s championship in Ogden City, Utah. The quartet, consisting of Jacobs, Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant, and Ben Hebert from Calgary’s Glencoe Club, exceeded expectations by clinching victory with a two-point steal in the 10th end against Schuster’s team.
Maintaining an unbeaten streak in Virginia, Minn., the Canadian team secured their country’s third gold medal in four years following Brad Gushue’s triumphs in 2022 and 2023. Jacobs expressed his delight, stating, “It’s always great to throw the Maple Leaf on, and it makes you a little bit more hungry and motivated to go and try to wear it again.”
Next on their agenda, Jacobs and his team will participate in the Kioti Grand Slam of Curling Tahoe event in California starting on November 4. Subsequently, they will be one of the eight men’s teams contending at the Montana’s Canadian Trials in Halifax from November 22-30 for the opportunity to represent Canada in the upcoming Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina, Italy in February.
Looking ahead, Jacobs and his team plan to defend their Canadian title at the Brier in St. John’s from February 27 to March 8. Gallant emphasized the importance of finals and the team’s readiness to perform under pressure against tough opponents.
On the women’s side, Canada’s Rachel Homan faced a 7-6 defeat against Rui Wang of China in the gold-medal game. Despite showcasing impressive shots, China’s strategic play ultimately secured them the victory at the Iron Trail Motors Event Center.
In the women’s bronze-medal match, South Korea’s Team Eunji Gim secured an 11-8 win over Team Tabitha Peterson of the United States. Canada had already secured a spot in the 2026 women’s world championship in Calgary as the host country.
The Pan Continental event, introduced by World Curling four years ago, aimed to provide a counterpart to the European championship. However, with World Curling implementing changes to championship fields and introducing a B championship for promotion and relegation, the Pan Continental event will no longer continue, while the European championship will remain a stand-alone competition.