Canada’s Homan beats South Korea to reach playoffs

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO – Canadian skip Rachel Homan has won almost every major curling title over her legendary career.

Olympic gold is the one crown that has remained elusive. Homan cleared a big hurdle Thursday with a victory over South Korea that has left her two wins away from reaching her sport’s pinnacle.

Homan defeated Eunji Gim 10-7 in a must-win battle that gave the Canadians the last berth in the four-team playoff at the Winter Games.

“The outcome is a big check mark,” said Canadian coach Heather Nedohin.

Things looked grim for Homan, Tracy Fleury, Emma Miskew and Sarah Wilkes after a 1-3 start and the distractions from a double-touching controversy that dogged the competition last weekend.

Canada was in must-win mode early but responded with five straight victories to finish round-robin play at 6-3 and set up a semifinal showdown with Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg on Friday.

“We’ve been in basically continuous sudden-death games since (that) third loss,” Miskew said. “To be able to win all those games in a row – with some of them being quite tight and coming down to the last rock – I’m just really proud of my teammates for battling so hard and getting ourselves here.”

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South Korea made a split for three points in the third end for a 3-2 lead. A hogged rock by second Suji Kim set up Canada to score a pair in the fourth.

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Kim’s struggles continued in the fifth when her rock flashed to set up a Canadian force. Homan scored four in the sixth end with a draw that came after Gim rubbed a rock and rolled out with her last throw.

“After they had scored a three on us, it was a great rebound and put a little extra pep in their step,” Nedohin said.

South Korea did well to force Homan to draw against four in the eighth end but the Canadian skip found the button for one. Gim scored a pair in the ninth to make it interesting before Homan iced it with an open hit for the victory.

After missing out on the playoffs in her Olympic debut in 2018 and again four years later in mixed doubles, a look of pure joy was etched on Homan’s face as she hugged teammates and coaches after the game.

“We can take a breath and reset,” she said. “And there’s lots of work to do here.”

Canada beat Sweden 8-6 in round-robin play at Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium. It was one of two defeats for Hasselborg, who topped the table at 7-2.

Also Thursday, Tabitha Peterson of the U.S. made a game-winning draw in an extra end for a 7-6 victory over Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni. That vaulted the Americans into second place, giving them hammer for a semifinal rematch against the Swiss.

Semifinal winners will advance to Sunday’s final. Losing teams will play for bronze on Saturday.

“Every team that makes it here deserves to be here and could win it,” said Miskew, who was on the 2018 Olympic team with Homan. “So to be able to get into the playoffs right now, I’m so proud of us and we’re super happy to be here.”

Homan, 36, has won five Canadian women’s titles, three world women’s crown and 20 Grand Slam titles over her career.

Miskew played third for most of those championship runs but is now playing second. Wilkes joined the rink in 2020 and Fleury came on board two years later.

“We’re all pulling in the same direction and that’s really what’s been the difference for us this week,” Homan said.

Canada hasn’t reached the top of the Olympic podium in women’s curling since Jennifer Jones was victorious at the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 19. 2026.