Calgary’s Kayla Skrlik secured a significant victory at the Canadian curling trials in Halifax on Sunday. Skrlik’s team triumphed over the top-ranked women’s team in the world, Rachel Homan’s rink from Ottawa, with a score of 8-7 in extra ends. This ended Homan’s impressive 32-game winning streak against Canadian opponents, which had lasted for 413 days.
Reflecting on the win, Skrlik expressed that it was an important confidence booster for her team. However, she emphasized the need to maintain focus throughout the tournament, taking each shot and game as they come. Skrlik’s team took the lead with a three-point ninth end after breaking a 4-4 tie. Homan’s team forced an extra end by scoring three points in the 10th end.
Skrlik acknowledged the challenge posed by Homan’s exceptional performance, noting that going into the extra end was a possibility given the circumstances. The match ended with Skrlik making a crucial shot to secure the victory.
Another notable result from the trials was Halifax’s Christina Black earning her first win by defeating Kaitlyn Lawes from Winnipeg with a score of 7-3. Meanwhile, Kerri Einarson’s team from Gimli, Manitoba, remained undefeated with a 9-1 win over Corryn Brown from Kamloops, British Columbia.
In the men’s category, Brad Gushue and Matt Dunstone both improved their records to 2-0. Gushue won against Kevin Koe from Calgary with a score of 5-3, while Dunstone secured a victory over Jordon McDonald from Winnipeg with a score of 8-4. Other matches saw John Epping defeating Mike McEwen 9-5 and Brad Jacobs scoring a win over Ryan Kleiter with a score of 6-4.
The winners of the men’s and women’s competitions at the trials will have the honor of representing Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, Italy.
