Canadian curler Rachel Homan delivers a shot during a match against the United States at the World Women's Curling Championship in Uijeongbu, South Korea, on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Canada’s Rachel Homan delivered a stunning 7-6 victory over Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni in an intense extra-end battle at the LGT Women’s World Curling Championship on Thursday. This win not only marked Switzerland’s first loss in the tournament but also pushed Canada’s record to an impressive 7-2, securing a strong position in the standings.
Homan, along with teammates Tracy Fleury, Emma Miskew, and Sarah Wilkes, played a calculated game that went down to the wire at Uijeongbu Arena. In the 11th end, Canada sealed the win by scoring a crucial point with the hammer.
"It took us 11 ends to beat them, and I’m so proud of my team for staying focused and making every shot count," Homan said.
Canada Secures Strong Standings Position
With this victory, Canada is now tied with Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg and South Korea’s Eunji Gim in the standings, while Tirinzoni still leads at 8-1. The top six teams in the 13-team tournament will move on to the playoffs, while those ranking lower will battle for a semifinal spot.
The win also puts Canada in a strong position for the 2026 Olympics. According to Curling Canada, this result virtually guarantees their qualification.
"I’m really proud that we’ve earned enough points to secure Canada’s Olympic spot," Homan said.
Key Moments in the Match
Canada struck first, taking a 1-0 lead in the second end. The game remained tight, with three alternating two-score ends leaving Switzerland ahead 4-3 by the fifth. The momentum shifted again in the eighth end when Switzerland had a chance to score four but only managed one, failing to completely remove Canada’s stone.
Homan acknowledged this as a turning point. "That missed shot for four was big. I don’t even know if the shot was there, but we put ours in a great spot and made it tough for them," she said.
Canada responded with two points in the ninth, but Switzerland pushed the game into extra ends by scoring one more in the tenth. However, they couldn’t find the winning shot, allowing Canada to seal the match in the 11th end.
Impressive Performance and Rivalry
Canada finished the match with an 88% shooting accuracy, slightly edging out Switzerland’s 84%. This win also extended Homan’s dominance over Tirinzoni, with a 9-1 record against the Swiss skip since the 2023-24 season.
Earlier in the tournament, Homan split her games on Tuesday, losing to host South Korea 11-7 before bouncing back with an 8-6 win over Norway. Later on Thursday, Canada was set to face Japan’s Sayaka Yoshimura, aiming to strengthen their playoff chances.
