Representing Canada this week at the Pan Continental Curling Championships in Virginia, Minn., are the curling teams led by Rachel Homan and Brad Jacobs. These championships are crucial qualifiers for the 2026 men’s and women’s world championships.
Brad Jacobs, hailing from Calgary, is set to kick 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, including Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant, and Ben Hebert, secured a convincing 11-2 victory over Xu’s team, clinching a bronze medal.
The Glencoe Club quartet started strong with a three-point end and further extended their lead by scoring five points in the fourth end.
“We aimed to start off strong, maintain our performance, and secure a podium finish,” Jacobs commented at the time.
In the game, Xu managed to score a 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 on the opportunity and score five points.
Brad Jacobs and his Canadian team dominated China with an 11-2 victory to secure the bronze medal at the world curling championships in Moose Jaw, Sask.
Meanwhile, Rachel Homan’s team from the Ottawa Curling Club will strive to defend their title as Pan Continental women’s champions, aiming to be the first to achieve this feat after their victory last year in Lacombe, Alta.
The women’s competition in Minnesota marks the first time the event is being held outside Canada and is scheduled to start on Tuesday at 10 a.m. ET, with Homan’s team facing off against Satsuki Fujisawa of Japan.
As the host country for the women’s world championship next year in March, the Canadian team is already guaranteed a spot in the tournament.
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