Team Canada survives scare to secure playoff spot at BKT Tires World Women’s Curling Championship

Members of Team Canada can feel good that they remain the only undefeated team at the 2024 BKT Tires World Women’s Curling Championship, but more importantly, they can rejoice in the fact that they are also in the playoffs.

There are only six spots available in the 13-team world event, and the Canadians (8-0), skipped by Rachel Homan, grabbed the first one Wednesday evening when they beat back a serious challenge from skip Dilsat Yildiz’s Team Turkey (2-7) at Centre 200 in Sydney, N.S. 

Now, with that pressure off their shoulders, Homan and Co. — vice-skip Tracy Fleury, second Emma Miskew, lead Sarah Wilkes, alternate Rachel Brown and coached by Don Bartlett and national coach Viktor Kjell — can concentrate on finishing in the top two and secure an automatic place in the semifinals.

Homan needed to make two straight runbacks with her last two shots in the 10th to pull out the game that appeared in jeopardy. There was no room for error on either shot.

“You can’t make that as a thrower,” said Homan, the 34-team-old skip from the Ottawa Curling Club. “You have to make it with the brushers and kudos to them for making those last two. That was huge sweeps by them.”

Team Homan’s 9-5 victory over Turkey keeps the Canadians one step ahead of Team Italy (7-1), skipped by Stefania Constantini, which had the night off. Defending champions Team Switzerland (6-2), also with the bye, follows tied at third.

The Swiss, skipped by Silvana Tirinzoni, had a record 42-game world win streak snapped Tuesday evening by the Canadians. In the afternoon, they dropped a second straight, 6-5, to skip Rebecca Morrison’s Team Scotland.

Tirinzoni and last-rock shooter Alina Paetz are looking to become the first women to win five consecutive world titles.

Skip Eunji Gim’s Team South Korea (6-2) are also tied for the third spot after scoring a 7-5 victory over Team Sweden (5-4), skipped by Anna Hasselborg. The Swedes had won five games in a row after losing their first three.

Team Canada was forced into a rather pedestrian game of open hits. As a consequence, Canada led only 2-1 after five ends, scoring a deuce in the first end.

Turkey, playing perhaps their best game of the year, kept making shots in the second half of the game, especially in the seventh end when the team made everything, including an angle run for a three-count and a 4-3 lead.

Team Yildiz kept applying pressure in the ninth, and after a super tapback by Yildiz on the button, it appeared close to scoring two. But after a few spins of the measurement stick, it was determined that the Turks only had one, and the Canadians were off the hook, trailing by one.

The 10th, though, was another moment for Homan to shine. Her two precise runbacks pulled her team out of the fire.

“It was thrilling, what amazing two shots by Rachel,” lead Wilkes said. “And the fans just erupting at the end. It looked tough … she never faltered, just took it in stride.

“They played amazing. We had to bring our best game to beat them. It was extremely stressful. Those are character wins.”

In the other games on the evening draw, Team U.S.A. (3-5), skipped by Tabitha Peterson, downed Team Scotland (3-6) by a score of 8-6, while Madeleine Dupont’s Team Denmark (6-3) scored a 7-1 victory over Jessica Smith’s Team New Zealand (1-7).

Other teams with the bye included Japan (3-5), Norway (3-5) and Estonia (1-7).

Team Canada next plays on Thursday morning against Estonia’s Team Liisa Turmann.

The third- through sixth-ranked teams after the round-robin wraps up Friday evening compete in playoff qualification games (3 vs. 6; 4 vs. 5) with the winners advancing to the semifinals. The semifinal winners play in the gold-medal game and the losers play for bronze. 

The final goes March 24.

The 2024 BKT Tires World Women’s Curling Championship continues with draws at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. (all times Atlantic).

Live scoring, standings and statistics for the 2024 BKT Tires World Women’s Curling Championship are available by CLICKING HERE.

TSN and RDS2 will provide complete coverage of the 2024 BKT Tires World Women’s Curling Championship. CLICK HERE for the complete schedule.

For ticket information for the 2024 BKT Tires World Women’s Curling Championship, go to www.curling.ca/2024worldwomen/tickets/.

This story will be available in French as soon as possible at www.curling.ca/2024worldwomen/nouvelles/?lang=fr