Canada’s Brad Jacobs emerged victorious in the men’s Pan Continental Curling Championship by defeating John Schuster of the United States with a score of 7-3. The Pan Continental serves as a regional qualifier for countries aiming to participate in the 2026 men’s and women’s world championships.
To secure a spot for Canada in the upcoming championship in Ogden City, Utah, Jacobs and his team, who previously secured a bronze medal at the 2025 world championship, needed to finish among the top four teams. In a thrilling match, Jacobs, along with his team members Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant, and Ben Hebert, clinched the victory over Schuster with a steal of two points in the 10th end.
The Canadian team, hailing from Calgary’s Glencoe Club, delivered an unbeaten performance in Virginia, Minn., achieving Canada’s third gold medal in the past four years. Jacobs expressed his enthusiasm saying, “It’s always great to throw the Maple Leaf on, and it makes you a little bit more hungry and motivated to go and try to wear it again.”
Looking ahead, Jacobs and his team will be heading to California for the Kioti Grand Slam of Curling Tahoe starting on November 4. Subsequently, they will compete in Halifax at the Montana’s Canadian Trials from November 22-30, aiming to represent Canada in the upcoming Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina, Italy in February.
Furthermore, the team is set to defend their Canadian title at the Brier in St. John’s from February 27 to March 8. Gallant emphasized the importance of finals, stating that it’s crucial to seize such opportunities and perform under pressure against tough opponents.
On the women’s side, Canada’s Rachel Homan faced a 7-6 defeat against Rui Wang of China in the gold-medal game. Despite some remarkable shots from the Canadian team, China managed to secure the win with a crucial steal in the seventh end. Homan acknowledged the learning experience from the loss, mentioning that they came into the competition a bit tired after their recent Grand Slam victory.
In the women’s bronze-medal game, South Korea’s Team Eunji Gim triumphed over Team Tabitha Peterson of the United States with a score of 11-8. Canada had already secured a berth in the 2026 women’s world championship as the host country.
The Pan Continental event, introduced four years ago by World Curling, aimed to provide a counterpart to the European championship but will be discontinued due to the expansion of championship fields and the introduction of a B championship for promotion and relegation.