PEDAL TO THE MEDAL

Canada stays focused, unbeaten as BKT World Women’s Championship playoffs loom

Members of Team Canada, prepping for the weekend playoffs, kept their foot on the pedal Thursday at the 2024 BKT Tires World Women’s Curling Championship.

It would have been easy to relax a bit, knowing that a playoff spot is secure, a top-two finish in the 13-team field is within grasp, and their game is firing on all cylinders, but that’s not in the DNA of skip Rachel Homan and her team from the Ottawa Curling Club.

It’s full steam ahead.

So with that mindset, Homan’s Team Canada (10-0) rolled to an eight-end, 9-2 win over skip Jessica Smith’s Team New Zealand (1-9) Thursday to remain unbeaten and stay one step ahead of second-place Team Italy (9-1), skipped by Stefania Constantini.

A successful sprint to the finish line of the round-robin Friday and Canada will complete Job One — earning a first-place finish and a bye into the semifinals on the weekend, which comes to the teams that finish in the top two placings.

Homan, who is supported by vice-skip Tracy Fleury, second Emma Miskew, lead Sarah Wilkes, alternate Rachel Brown and coached by Don Bartlett and national coach Viktor Kjell, said it has been a grind this week.

“Every team we’ve played here this week has been phenomenal,” she said. “I don’t know how they played against other teams but I know that every team we’ve played has been outstanding.”

Team Canada was never really pressed by the Kiwis, who had Bridget Becker taking over from Jessica Smith in shot-calling duties. Homan had her team in front 3-0 after the first two ends and gave her opponents a few bare peeks at the scoreboard after that.

The Canadians kept waiting for their chances and a big one came in the eighth end when Homan made a runback double with her first delivery to set up a five-ender. 

Fleury wasn’t surprised her skipper came through again in a big moment.

“She’s definitely playing amazing,” she said. “She’s so dialled in and always close on every shot. Doesn’t matter how hard it is she goes after it and makes so many amazing shots for us. She always raises for the big games, the big moments and in pressure situations. That’s what makes her so great.”

Homan may have been excused if she glanced over at a couple of sheets around her at Centre 200 to see what her chief rivals in the upcoming playoffs were up to.

And what she may have seen were the Italians staying right on their tail with a 7-6 win over skip Dilsat Yildiz’s Team Turkey (2-9).

If the Italians and Canadians can win out Friday, they will pick up the valuable semifinal spots. It won’t be easy. Both have tough games to close out the round-robin. 

Also within Homan’s eyesight was Team South Korea (8-2), skipped by Eunji Gim, grabbing a playoff spot with a 9-3 victory over Tabitha Peterson’s Team U.S.A. (4-6). The loss officially ended the Americans’ bid for a playoff spot.

The Koreans moved into a third-place tie with idle Team Switzerland (8-2), skipped by Silvana Tirinzoni., who qualified for the playoffs earlier in the day. Tirinzoni is trying to skip a Switzerland team to a fifth straight world championship.

Team Sweden (7-4), skipped by Anna Hasselborg, also secured a playoff spot with a key 5-3 win over Team Japan (3-7), skipped by Miyu Ueno.

The final playoff spot was picked up by Team Denmark (6-4), skipped by Madeleine Dupont, who was idle Thursday.

Other teams with the bye included Scotland (4-6), Norway (3-7) and Estonia (1-9).

Team Canada closes its round-robin schedule Friday against Team Scotland and Team South Korea after a morning bye.

“Nice to finally get a morning off get in some good sleep and then back to back,” said Homan. “We’re going to be ready for it.”

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. 

Homan is looking to win her second world title. She won her first in 2017 with Miskew, Joanne Courtney and Lisa Weagle. Jennifer Jones skipped the last Canadian team to win it in 2018 in North Bay, Ont.

The final goes Sunday.

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