For the first time since 2018, Team Canada has won the gold medal at the Women’s World Curling Championships. On Sunday from Sydney, Nova Scotia, the Canadian team comprised of skip Rachel Homan of Ottawa, Ontario, third Tracy Fleury of Sudbury, Ontario, second Emma Miskew of Ottawa, Ontario, and lead Sarah Wilkes of Toronto, Ontario defeated Switzerland in the gold medal game 7-5.
For Homan it was her second World Championship. She also placed first in 2017 in Beijing, China.
The story of the game came in the ninth end. With Switzerland leading 5-4, Homan could have drawn into the eight foot for two points. Instead, she decided to raise her guard into the house and attempt a challenging split for three points. Homan executed the feat as her two Canadian rocks outscored Switzerland’s two rocks, which were lying at the back of the 12 foot. Then in the 10th end, Homan’s team put an incredible amount of pressure on Switzerland. By the time Switzerland fourth player Alina Patz was about to throw her final rock, Switzerland conceded as they had no shot for two points.
The Homan win ended a streak of four consecutive Women’s World Curling Championship titles. In that time, they bet Russia, Norway, South Korea and Sweden in the final. South Korea won the bronze medal at the 2024 Women’s World Curling Championships.