Canadian curling teams led by Rachel Homan and Brad Jacobs are currently competing in the Pan Continental Curling Championships in Virginia, Minnesota, as they aim to qualify for the 2026 men’s and women’s world championships.
Brad Jacobs, hailing from Calgary, commenced round-robin action on Monday at 8 p.m. ET against Xiaoming Xu and the Chinese team. In a previous encounter last April in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Jacobs and his team secured a convincing 11-2 victory against Xu’s squad, clinching a bronze medal.
During the match, Xu managed to score his first point by drawing against four counters in the third end. The turning point came in the fourth end when China missed a crucial shot, allowing Jacobs to capitalize and score five points.
On the other hand, Rachel Homan’s team from the Ottawa Curling Club is set to defend their title as Pan Continental women’s champions after their triumph in Lacombe, Alberta, last year. The women’s competition will kick off in Minnesota on Tuesday at 10 a.m. ET, with Homan facing off against Satsuki Fujisawa of Japan.
The Canadian women’s team, including Tracy Fleury, Emma Miskew, Sara Wilkes, and alternate Rachelle Brown, is already guaranteed a spot at the women’s worlds next year as the host nation in March.
Brad Jacobs’ team is aiming for a top-five finish in Minnesota to secure a spot for Canada at the men’s world championship scheduled for March 28 to April 5 in Ogden City, Utah. This opportunity provides valuable experience for the team as they prepare for the upcoming Montana’s Canadian Curling Trials in Halifax.
As the host country of the women’s world championship in Calgary in March, Canada has an automatic berth in the tournament. Homan, together with her teammates, had a successful season, winning the women’s world championship in Uijeongbu, South Korea. Both teams are determined to represent Canada with pride and are fully focused on their upcoming matches in Minnesota.
