Canadian skip Rachel Homan achieved a historic milestone on Sunday by leading her Ottawa-based team to an 8-2 victory over Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni in the CO-OP Tour Challenge final held in Nisku, Alta. This win marked Homan’s 19th Grand Slam title, surpassing Kevin Martin from Alberta as the skip with the most titles across both divisions. Homan, who hails from nearby Beaumont, Alta., secured the victory in front of a supportive crowd comprising family, friends, and fans.
Homan, alongside her team members Tracy Fleury, Emma Miskew, and Sarah Wilkes, earned $34,500 for their triumph. This final encounter marked the ninth time that Homan and Tirinzoni faced off in a Grand Slam women’s final, with Homan leading the head-to-head matchups 7-2. The victory was particularly special for Homan, who expressed her joy at setting a new record in her home Slam event.
The final match saw Homan taking an early lead by scoring four points in the first end, ultimately finishing with a steal of one in the fifth end and two more points in the sixth end to secure the win. On the men’s side, Bruce Mouat from Scotland claimed victory by defeating Matt Dunstone from Winnipeg, Man., with a score of 5-2. This win marked Mouat’s 11th Grand Slam title, with Dunstone having previously won his second Grand Slam at the AMJ Masters in London, Ont. The match was a highly anticipated rematch of the 2016 world junior final, where Dunstone secured the bronze for Canada and Mouat claimed the gold for Scotland.