Comeback continues as Team Homan advances to women’s curling semifinals
Rachel Homan and Team Canada scored a tournament-saving victory Thursday morning to advance to the semifinals in women’s curling at Milano Cortina 2026.
Needing a win to make the playoffs—a loss would have eliminated them—Homan overcame an early deficit and a stubborn, aggressive Eunji Gim and Team Korea to score a 10-7 victory. It was the fifth straight win for Canada, the No. 1 ranked women’s team in the world.
“I couldn’t ask for anything more from the girls and I’m unbelievably proud of them for getting us into this position and into the semi.” Homan said after the nail biting victory.
Homan, third Tracy Fleury, second Emma Miskew and lead Sarah Wilkes will play Anna Hasselborg of Sweden in one semifinal Friday morning (8:00 a.m. ET) while Silvana Tirinzoni of Switzerland plays Tabitha Peterson of the United States in the other.
It’s the first time in three Olympic appearances—two team and one mixed doubles—that Homan has made the playoffs and will play for a medal.
Sweden and Switzerland had already secured playoff spots and the last two berths were determined in Thursday morning’s final draw in the 10-team round robin. Peterson’s last-rock draw to the back of the button was counter by an inch to give the United States a 7-6 win over Switzerland and the final playoff berth. The U.S. win eliminated Korea and Great Britain and means Tirinzoni gets a chance for revenge in the semifinal.
The Canadian win streak came following a three-game losing streak that jeopardized their chances of getting to the semifinals. Knowing that only four teams make the playoffs and that four losses are often too many to advance, Homan’s team began its comeback with a win over China followed by a confidence-building win over then-unbeaten Sweden. Victories over the United States and Italy to set up Thursday’s win-or-go-home game.
The key to the turnaround, said Homan, was belief and team dynamics.
“For us, it’s believing in each other and sticking together every shot,” Homan said. “After a miss we’re supporting one another and trying our very best. We all know that we’re all pulling in the same direction and that’s been the difference for us this week, sticking together and having our support staff help us out with anything we’ve needed.”
Canada shook off a shaky first three ends against Korea with a deuce in the fourth and took control of the critical game by scoring four in the sixth end for an 8-4 lead they rode to victory.
After the start time was delayed by 30 minutes because heavy snow in and around Cortina d’Ampezzo made travel difficult, Canada took a single they didn’t want in the first end. Homan’s hit and roll out didn’t make it out of the rings.
The gambling Koreans misfired on a difficult double to give Canada a steal in the second, but their aggressiveness paid off in the third. Rather than settle for two, the Koreans, who can be heard screaming their sweeping commands throughout the Cortina Olympic Stadium, executed a tough split and roll of a guard into the house to score three.
Homan was successful on a thin double tap back with her final stone in four for a deuce and a 4-3 lead. Then came the pivotal sixth end.
The bronze medal game is set for Saturday (8:00 a.m. ET) with the gold-medal match Sunday (5:00 a.m. ET).
