Canada's Rachel Homan on a roll as she looks to defend world women's curling title
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Rachel Homan and her juggernaut Canadian championship team know their No. 1 world ranking doesn't guarantee success at the 2025 world women's curling championship.
But that doesn't mean Homan, vice-skip Tracy Fleury, second Emma Miskew and lead Sarah Wilkes won't be full of confidence when they begin their title defence when the 13-country championship begins Saturday in Uijeongbu, South Korea.
The Homan team has been together for three years and has been dominant over the past 18 months, winning back-to-back Scotties Tournament of Hearts titles and the 2024 world championship in Sydney, N.S.
"We find the more experience we get playing together, the stronger we get," Fleury said. "We're all really comfortable with one another now."
Since Homan returned to competition three weeks after giving birth to her third child in September 2023, the defending world champions reeled off six titles last season and six more in this campaign.
They also posted a record-tying 22 straight wins in their back-to-back Tournament of Hearts victories, tying a mark the Homan rink set between 2013-15.
"Last season was unbelievable, and I think heading into this season, we kind of tried to prepare ourselves it's OK if this season's not quite as incredible as last season," Fleury said.
"[Last season] would be hard to replicate. But we came out strong again this year, and we're winning a lot of games. But we're still trying to find ways to make small improvements."
Three weeks ago in Thunder Bay, Ont., Homan and Miskew won their fifth Canadian championship together in 11 appearances, one shy of Jennifer Jones' record of six.
WATCH | Homan's rink successfully defends Canadian women's crown:
Homan defeats Einarson at Scotties for 5th Canadian title
17 days ago
Duration 2:06
Jones now coaches the Homan team, which represents the Ottawa Curling Club. But Jones won't join Canada in South Korea because of a scheduling conflict.
Canadian national team coaches Viktor Kjell and Renee Sonnenberg, along with team alternate Rachelle Brown, will handle the mentoring duties.
"This was something we were aware could be a possible factor," Kjell said. "Together with Renee and Rachelle, we'll be fine. I've spent a lot of time with the team throughout the season and various training [sessions]."
With the world championship in South Korea, Canada will have to overcome the jet lag and a lack of in-person support.
"I think, if anything, we're a little more prepared than last year," said the 35-year-old Homan, who curled a perfect 100 per cent in her team's 6-1 win against Kerri Einarson and Manitoba in the Canadian championship final last month.
"We know what to do training-wise. Being overseas quite a bit, we know the jet lag and the importance of getting in the right zone, feeling ready for the games."
WATCH | Who is Rachel Homan the curler, and mom?:
Misunderstood: Who is Rachel Homan the curler, and mom?
2 months ago
Duration 5:01
The Canadian curler has spent years under the spotlight as an athlete. But CBC Sports' Devin Heroux takes us behind the scenes to see who she is off the ice.
Homan and Miskew represented Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, a two-hour drive east of Uijeongbu, but finished sixth.
The Canadians departed for South Korea on Sunday. They open against Virginija Paulauskaite's Lithuania rink before facing Rebecca Morrison's Scotland foursome in their second match on Saturday.
"We know what to expect," said Miskew, who, along with Homan, has won two world championships in five appearances.
"We feel that support, whether we're in Canada or not. They're watching.
"We'll pretty much duplicate last year's schedule, even though it was in Canada. We'll be ready."
WATCH | Rachel Homan on meeting fans, and being mic'd up while curling:
Rachel Homan on meeting fans, and being mic'd up while curling
2 months ago
Duration 2:38
The Canadian curler talks to CBC Sports' Devin Heroux about how she signs every autograph, and the difficulties of always being mic'd up as a curler.
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