Calgary’s Kayla Skrlik secured a significant victory at the Canadian curling trials in Halifax on Sunday. Skrlik’s team triumphed over Ottawa’s Rachel Homan, the world’s top-ranked women’s team, in a thrilling 8-7 extra-end battle. This win marked the end of Homan’s impressive 32-game winning streak against Canadian opponents, which had lasted for 413 days.
Reflecting on the victory, Skrlik emphasized the importance of maintaining focus throughout the competition and not getting complacent after defeating Homan. The match saw Skrlik’s team break a 4-4 tie with a three-point ninth end, only for Homan to force an extra end by scoring three points in the 10th.
Despite the pressure, Skrlik remained composed and acknowledged the challenge of facing Homan’s skilled team. In another match, Halifax’s Christina Black also celebrated her first win of the Olympic trials by defeating Kaitlyn Lawes from Winnipeg with a convincing 7-3 scoreline.
Meanwhile, Kerri Einarson’s team from Gimli, Manitoba, continued their unbeaten streak with a dominant 9-1 victory over Corryn Brown from Kamloops, British Columbia. The competition also saw Edmonton’s Selena Sturmay secure a solid 12-5 win against Kate Cameron from St. Adolphe, Manitoba.
In men’s action, Brad Gushue and Matt Dunstone both improved their records to 2-0. Gushue overcame Calgary’s Kevin Koe 5-3, while Dunstone defeated Jordon McDonald from Winnipeg 8-4. Other highlights included John Epping’s 9-5 victory over Mike McEwen from Saskatoon and Brad Jacobs’ dramatic 6-4 win over Ryan Kleiter from Saskatoon in the 11th end.
The ultimate winners of the men’s and women’s competitions will have the honor of representing Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, Italy.