Curling teams led by Rachel Homan and Brad Jacobs are currently representing Canada at the Pan Continental Curling Championships in Virginia, Minn. These championships are crucial for determining the qualifiers for the 2026 men’s and women’s world championships.
Starting the round-robin play, Jacobs, hailing from Calgary, will face Xiaoming Xu and the Chinese team at 8 p.m. ET on Monday. In a previous encounter last April in Moose Jaw, Sask., Jacobs and his team, including Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant, and Ben Hebert, secured a bronze medal by defeating Xu’s team 11-2. The Glencoe Club squad had a strong start with a three-point lead and further extended their advantage with five points in the fourth end.
“We aimed to begin the competition on a high note, maintain our performance, and secure a podium finish,” Jacobs stated after their victory in Moose Jaw.
In the game, 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, Homan’s team, originating from the Ottawa Curling Club, is striving to become the first repeat Pan Continental women’s champion after their victory in Lacombe, Alta., last year. The women’s competition, being held outside Canada for the first time in Minnesota, will commence on Tuesday at 10 a.m. ET, with Homan’s team facing off against Japan’s Satsuki Fujisawa.
As the host of the women’s world championship in March in Calgary, the Canadian women’s rink is already guaranteed a spot in next year’s tournament. Homan’s team, comprising Tracy Fleury, Emma Miskew, Sara Wilkes, and Rachelle Brown as alternate, clinched the women’s world championship title in Uijeongbu, South Korea earlier this year.
Jacobs is looking to secure a top-five spot in Minnesota to ensure Canada’s entry at the men’s world championship next year in Ogden City, Utah. This opportunity holds significant importance for Jacobs and his team as they gear up for the Montana’s Canadian Curling Trials in Halifax.
“We see this as a fantastic chance not only to represent Canada but also to prepare for the upcoming high-stakes games leading to the Trials,” Jacobs expressed in August, emphasizing the importance of the ongoing competition in Minnesota.