CORTINA D’AMPEZZO – Canadian skip Rachel Homan has won almost every major curling title over her legendary profession.
Olympic gold is the one crown that has remained elusive. Homan cleared a giant 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 within the four-team playoff on the Winter Games.
“The final result is a giant 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 complete round-robin play at 6-3 and arrange a semifinal showdown with Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg on Friday.
“We’ve been in mainly continuous sudden-death games since (that) third loss,” Miskew said. “To give you the chance to win all those games in a row – with a few of them being quite tight and coming all the way down to the last rock – I’m just really pleased with my teammates for battling so hard and getting ourselves here.”
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South Korea made a split for 3 points within the third end for a 3-2 lead. A hogged rock by second Suji Kim arrange Canada to attain a pair within the fourth.
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Kim’s struggles continued within the fifth when her rock flashed to establish a Canadian force. Homan scored 4 within the sixth end with a draw that got here after Gim rubbed a rock and rolled out along with her last throw.
“After that they had scored a 3 on us, it was a fantastic rebound and put just a little extra pep of their step,” Nedohin said.
South Korea did well to force Homan to attract against 4 within the eighth end however the Canadian skip found the button for one. Gim scored a pair within 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 4 years later in mixed doubles, a glance of pure joy was etched on Homan’s face as she hugged teammates and coaches after the sport.
“We will take a breath and reset,” she said. “And there’s numerous work to do here.”
Canada beat Sweden 8-6 in round-robin play at Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium. It was one among two defeats for Hasselborg, who topped the table at 7-2.
Also Thursday, Tabitha Peterson of the U.S. made a game-winning attract an additional 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 will win it,” said Miskew, who was on the 2018 Olympic team with Homan. “So to give you the chance to get into the playoffs right away, I’m so pleased with us and we’re super pleased to be here.”
Homan, 36, has won five Canadian women’s titles, three world women’s crown and 20 Grand Slam titles over her profession.
Miskew played third for many of those championship runs but is now playing second. Wilkes joined the rink in 2020 and Fleury got here on board two years later.
“We’re all pulling in the identical direction and that’s really what’s been the difference for us this week,” Homan said.
Canada hasn’t reached the highest of the Olympic podium in women’s curling since Jennifer Jones was victorious on the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 19. 2026.
© 2026 The Canadian Press