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CBC
23-03-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Canada's Homan repeats as curling world champion with win over Switzerland's Tirinzoni in rematch
Rachel Homan's Canadian curling team has won the women's world championship with a 7-3 victory over Switzerland's Silvana Tirinzoni in Uijeongbu, South Korea. Homan, Tracy Fleury, Emma Miskew and Sarah Wilkes from the Ottawa Curling Club became the first Canadian team to repeat as women's world champions since Sandra Schmirler's team did it in 1993 and 1994. Homan defeated Tirinzoni in the world championship final a second straight year after a 7-5 victory over the Swiss side in Sydney, N.S., in 2024. Homan and Miskew claimed their third career world titles after also winning it in 2017 in Beijing. It was the second world gold for Fleury and Wilkes. Homan has a berth in November's Olympic trials in Halifax where her team will attempt to win the right to represent Canada at next year's Winter Olympic Games in Italy.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Everything you need to know about the 2025 women's worlds: Lineups, curlers and the skinny for each rink
It's pretty much 'us against the world' if you're Team Homan at the 2025 LGT World Women's Curling Championships. Not because anybody is disrespecting the Canadian champion in Uijeongbu, South Korea. Not even close. In fact, it's quite the opposite for skip Rachel Homan, third Tracy Fleury, second Emma Miskew and lead Sarah Wilkes. Everybody is targeting the team from Ottawa … for so many reasons. They are, of course, the defending world title-holders, having triumphed last winter at the event in Sydney, N.S. They are on a remarkable run of success, dating back to the beginning of last curling season with respective win-loss records of 67-7 in 2023-24 and 56-4 so far in 2024-25. And that has them filled with confidence and running hot as the definite favourite to capture the crown for a second-straight year. 'Well … it's our third year together, so I think we find just the more experience we get playing together, the stronger we get,' Fleury said. 'We're all really comfortable with one another now and comfortable in our roles. And I mean … last season was unbelievable, and I think heading into this season, we kind of tried to prepare ourselves like it's OK if this season's not quite as incredible as last season, because obviously that would be hard to replicate. 'But we came out strong again this year, and we're winning a lot of games but still trying to find ways to make small improvements and raise the bar even more.' 'We're just continually trying to find little bits and pieces that each of us can do individually to get better as an individual and what we can do as a team to move forward from game to game and event to event,' agreed Wilkes. 'I think that's a huge part of our success and what keeps us moving forward.' But even all that doesn't mean it's a cake-walk for Team Homan once the worlds begin early Saturday against Lithuania's Virginija Paulauskaite (1 a.m. ET, TSN) and continue later Saturday versus Scotland's Sophie Jackson (6 a.m. ET, TSN) at the Uijeongbu Indoor Ice Rink. The planet is teeming with title contenders. 'Little bit different' worlds in South Korea for Rachel Homan in bid to defend curling title How curling in Canada evolved from recreational origins to become a competitive sports juggernaut Homan wins second straight Scotties final, defends title with perfection Here's a look at the field for the LGT World Women's Curling Championships, with 13 teams having qualified from either the 2024 Le Gruyère AOP European Curling Championships or the 2024 Pan Continental Curling Championships set to go head-to-head in 12 round-robin contests apiece to qualify six teams for next weekend's playoffs … • CANADA (Ottawa Curling Club) — Rachel Homan (skip), Tracey Fleury (third), Emma Miskew (second), Sarah Wilkes (lead), Rachelle Brown (alternate) How they qualified: Finished first at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, after winning the 2024 Pan Continental Curling Championships in Lacombe, Alta. The skinny: Homan returns with the same lineup that won the worlds last year in Sydney, N.S., and with a wowzer record of 123-7 since the beginning of the 2023-24 curling campaign. • CHINA (Harbin CC) — Wang Rui (skip), Han Yu (third), Dong Ziqi (second), Jiang Jiayi (lead), Su Tingyu (alternate) How they qualified: Finished third at the 2024 pan continental championships The skinny: It's been awhile since Wang, a two-time Olympian, has been on the world stage. The last time was in 2019 Silkeborg (Denmark), capping a run of five appearances in six years. Her rink doesn't have a ton of experience at worlds, with just two previous trips — one by each of Han and Dong. • DENMARK (Hvidovre CC) — Madeleine Dupont (skip), Mathilde Halse (third), Denise Dupont (second), My Larsen (lead), Jasmin Holtermann (alternate) How they qualified: Finished fifth at the 2024 European championships The skinny: Skip Dupont, a three-time Olympian, is a veteran of 14 previous worlds, with two medals from early in the 37-year-old's career — a silver from 2007 Aomori (Japan) and a bronze from 2009 Gangneung (South Korea). It's a fifth straight world visit for the entire rink, which claimed gold at the Euros in 2022 Ostersund (Sweden). • ITALY (CC Dolomiti, Cortina D'Ampezzo) — Stefania Constantini (skip), Guilia Zardini Lacedelli (third), Elena Mathis (second), Angela Romei (lead), Marta Lo Deserto (alternate) How they qualified: Finished fourth at the 2024 European championships The skinny: Constantini, a 2022 Olympic gold medallist in Beijing, returns with the same lineup — albeit shuffled to feature Lacedelli at third — as last year's worlds, which was the 25-year-old's fourth straight as skip. They were the silver medallists at the Euros in 2023 Aberdeen (Scotland). • JAPAN (Sapporo CC) — Sayaka Yoshimura (skip), Kaho Onodera (third), Yuna Kotani (second), Anna Ohmiya (lead), Mina Kobayashi (alternate) How they qualified: Won the 2025 Japan Curling Championships after Miyu Ueno finished second at the 2024 pan continental championships The skinny: For Yoshimura, it's a third visit to the worlds in 11 years and only her second trip as a skip. Kotani and Ohmiya were teammates with the 33-year-old for both previous appearances, and they have yet to track down a playoff spot together at worlds. • KOREA (Uijeongbu CC) — Gim Eun-ji (skip), Kim Min-ji (third), Kim Su-ji (second), Seol Ye-eun (lead), Seol Ye-ji (alternate) How they qualified: Won the 2024 Korean curling championships and then finished third at the 2024 pan continental championships The skinny: The solid Korean lineup returns in tact after scoring bronze medals at last year's worlds. The 35-year-old Gim and this exact team also copped victories at the 2023 pan continental championships and the 2023 KIOTI National, an event on the Grand Slam of Curling schedule. Gim, herself, is a vet of five previous worlds, while her rink-mates have made a combined four visits. • LITHUANIA (Skipas CC, Vilnius) — Virginija Paulauskaite (skip), Olga Dvojeglazova (third), Migle Kiudyte (second), Ruta Blaziene (lead), Justina Zalieckiene (alternate) How they qualified: Finished eighth at the 2024 European championships The skinny: It's the first-ever berth for Lithuania — male or female — at the worlds. And that rink — Canada's first foe of the worlds — is being guided by 53-year-old skip Paulauskaite. Lithuania copped the last spot from the 2024 Euros with just one win but with the tie-breaking edge over fellow 1-8 record-holders Estonia and Hungary. • NORWAY (Snaroen CC, Oslo) — Marianne Roervik (skip), Kristin Skaslien (fourth), Mille Haslev Nordbye (second), Eilin Kjaerland (lead), Ingeborg Forbregd (alternate) How they qualified: Finished seventh at the 2024 European championships The skinny: Roervik, 41, returns nearly the same squad for a fourth consecutive appearance at the worlds. The exception is new lead Kjaerland in for Martine Rønning. It's the eighth visit — sixth as skip — for Roervik, who was the gold medallist at the world juniors in 2004 Trois-Rivières. Norway finished with a 4-5 record at the 2024 Euros. • SCOTLAND (Holywood CC, Dumfries) — Sophie Jackson (skip), Rebecca Morrison (fourth), Jennifer Dodds (third), Sophie Sinclair (second), Fay Henderson (alternate) How they qualified: Finished third at the 2024 European championships The skinny: Jackson, who throws lead rocks, is another recent staple at worlds, having been in them the last three years and five total before this year's visit. But the 28-year-old has yet to skip a rink to the event's playoffs — a shock given the long proud history of curling in Scotland. Jackson and the same lineup she brought last year did, however, finish 6-3 at the 2024 Euros. • SWEDEN (Sundyberg CK) — Anna Hasselborg (skip), Sara McManus (third), Agnes Knochenhauer (second), Sofia Mabergs (lead), Johanna Heldin (alternate) How they qualified: Finished second at the 2024 European championships The skinny: Considered one of the serious contenders to Homan's crown, decorated Hasselborg — the Olympic champ at 2018 Pyeongchang — is still shooting for her first world title. An eight-time grand-slam victor, the 35-year-old has iced the same squad for a decade, having made the worlds each of the last eight years, including this shot in hopes of finally finding glory after finishing 7-3 at the 2024 Euros. • SWITZERLAND (CC Aarau) — Silvana Tirinzoni (skip), Alina Paetz (fourth), Carole Howald (second), Selina Witschonke (lead), Stefanie Berset (alternate) How they qualified: Won the 2024 European championships The skinny: Homan stepped in last winter to halt Tirinzoni's spectacular hold on the worlds from 2019-23, making her fit to avenge the loss to Canada a year ago in Sydney. The four-time grand-slam champ is primed for more international success, too, after going a perfect 9-0 at the 2024 Euros. The 45-year-old Tirinzoni returns with the same team which lost last year's championship final — 7-5 — to Homan, except for swapping the positions of Howald and Witschonke. • TÜRKIYE (Milli Piyango CA, Erzurum) — Dilsat Yildiz (skip), Oznur Polat (third), Ifayet Safak Çalikusu (second), Berfin Sengul (lead), Iclal Karaman (alternate) How they qualified: Finished sixth at the 2024 European championships The skinny: Türkiye has surprisingly become a mainstay at the worlds, with 28-year-old skip Yildiz at the centre of that charge. She's brought a similar version of the current squad to worlds in the appearances dating back to her 2022 debut, but they have yet to make the playoffs. Yildez was 5-4 at the 2024 Euros. • UNITED STATES (St. Paul CC) — Tabitha Peterson (skip), Cory Thiesse (third), Tara Peterson (second), Taylor Anderson-Heide (lead), Vicky Persinger (alternate) How they qualified: Finished fifth at the 2024 pan continental championships, without skip Peterson The skinny: Peterson, 36, aims to better the bronze she and her younger sister grabbed in 2021 Calgary, which is the only worlds medal earned in seven previous trips. In doing so, the five-time American champ added Anderson-Heide to the crew, which featured the Petersons and Thiesse in the last two worlds — both 6-6 ventures for the Minnesota rink. tsaelhof@
CBC
13-03-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Canada's Rachel Homan on a roll as she looks to defend world women's curling title
Social Sharing 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.
CBC
28-02-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Jean-Michel Ménard reflects on family, retirement ahead of return to Brier
Watching Jean-Michel Ménard practice alone at the Ottawa Curling Club, you might not guess he was a handful of days away from playing in Canada's most prestigious men's curling tournament — certainly not after eight years away. The Gatineau, Que., curler's last appearance at the Brier was in 2017, his 12th overall. He'd also won back in 2006, making history as the first Francophone skip from Quebec to take home the trophy. Ménard had "retired" from competitive play in 2018, intending to return in the seniors category when he hit 50. "It was just the amount of time I needed to put [into it]," said Ménard, now 49. "That was family time I wasn't able to put [into] my daughters and my wife." However, he didn't stray more than a stone's throw away from the sport, playing twice a week in local leagues — not to mention the occasional bonspiel. It wasn't long before that turned into wins at the 2021 Canadian Mixed Championships and the 2022 World Mixed Championships in Scotland, both alongside his wife, Annie Lemay. Now, Ménard is coming off winning Quebec's provincial championship in January, which qualified his team for this year's Brier in Kelowna, B.C. "We've had a pretty good season, and we really, really played well during the provincial," said Ménard. "Now if we can bring that level of play to the Brier, we'll not be fun to play against." Skipping, but throwing third stones In a break from convention, Ménard's return to the tournament sees him skipping the Quebec team but throwing third rocks for Félix Asselin. He credited curling legend Randy Ferbey for popularizing that arrangement in the early 2000s. Ménard also said it's simply practical. "I practice a lot, but I would need to practice even more if I want to be more consistent and able to throw the final two rocks," said Ménard. "Félix is pretty young and he's almost on the ice every day, so he gets more reps. It's kind of natural." We have full-time jobs, so we are real amateur curlers. But we can still hold our own when we play the best. Despite what he says, Ménard hasn't been slacking on practice. He's been nailing shots daily at his local club for close to two weeks, after some time recovering from provincials. Absent were his teammates, however, as they're based out of Valleyfield, Laval and Quebec City. "That's the reality of most competitive curling teams in Quebec," said Ménard. "Our [recruitment pool] is not very big, so we've got to form teams with people who are committed and are pretty much all around the province. Now that his daughters are 10 and 15, Ménard says he feels more comfortable with the idea of leaving the province to compete far from home. "They're very quiet [and] easy to deal with, so when I leave for an event, I don't feel as bad for mommy being stuck at home with the two kids," he joked. "I know everything will be fine. It's more peace of mind, so it's easier for me to just go play my games and focus on the games." The Montana Brier kicks off tonight at 9:30 p.m. ET. Ménard and Team Asselin play their first game Saturday afternoon against Ontario's Sam Mooibroek rink. "The top teams in the world and some of the top teams in Canada, they have either part time jobs or are full time curlers. We have full time jobs, so we are real amateur curlers," Ménard jokes.
CBC
24-02-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Homan defeats Einarson at Scotties for 5th Canadian title
Team Canada's Rachel Homan out of the Ottawa Curling Club defeats Manitoba's Kerri Einarson 6-1 in the championship final at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Homan defends her Canadian women's curling title and collects the fifth of her career.
