HALIFAX — Rachel Homan locked up an Olympic berth Saturday by defeating Christina Black 12-3 to complete a two-game sweep in the women’s final at the Montana’s Canadian Curling Trials.
Homan was in full control after scoring four points in the third end at Scotiabank Centre. The teams shook hands once the minimum eight ends were completed.
The Ottawa skip will wear the Maple Leaf at the Milan Cortina Games in February. It will be her third straight Olympic appearance.
Homan played on a women’s team with Emma Miskew at the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea and returned at the 2022 Beijing Games to play mixed doubles with John Morris. Homan missed the podium both times.
After a tight 5-4 win over Black on Friday, Homan’s team of Miskew, vice Tracy Fleury and lead Sarah Wilkes dominated Game 2.
Black struggled with her draw weight and it proved costly against the world’s top-ranked team.
The Halifax skip was light with her final throw of the first end. Instead of forcing her opponent to draw against three, Homan was able to open with a deuce.
Black’s side of vice Jill Brothers, second Marlee Powers and lead Karlee Everist rebounded in the second end. Black had a chance to score three but was light with her draw and settled for a pair.
In the third, Homan’s side put rocks in play and took advantage of mistakes from Black’s team. Brothers rubbed a guard and Black was heavy with her final throw to allow Homan to make a tap for four.
Black had to draw against five in the fifth end and threw it heavy once again. A deuce allowed Homan to take a 9-2 lead into the fifth-end break to further hush the partisan crowd.
It was Black’s first appearance in a Trials final. Her 21st-ranked team upset second-ranked Kerri Einarson of Gimli, Man., in the semifinal.
Game 2 in the men’s final between Matt Dunstone’s Winnipeg team and the Calgary-based side skipped by Brad Jacobs was scheduled for Saturday night. Jacobs outscored Dunstone 9-8 in Game 1.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 29, 2025.
Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press