Team Homan books Olympic ticket after sweeping final of Canadian curling trials
Listen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Rachel Homan is heading back to the Olympic Games.The Ottawa-based rink of Homan, Tracy Fleury, Emma Miskew and Sarah Wilkes will represent Canada at the Milano-Cortina Olympics after sweeping Team Christina Black in the final of the Canadian curling trials.Homan beat Black 12-3 in Game 2 of the best-of-three Olympic curling trial final in Halifax on Saturday. It will be her third straight Olympic appearance."We couldn't be happier," Homan said. "There aren't words to describe putting that Maple Leaf on your back at the Olympics."Homan played on a women's team with Miskew at the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. She returned at the 2022 Beijing Games to play mixed doubles with John Morris. Homan missed the podium both times.Homan, right, and her teammates celebrate after sweeping Team Black in the final of the Canadian Olympic curling trials. (Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press)After a tight 5-4 win over Black on Friday, Homan's team dominated Game 2 and were in full control after scoring four points in the third end at Scotiabank Centre.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.Team Black skip Christina Black, second from left, speaks with teammates during Game 2 of the of the best-of-three Olympic curling trial final. (Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press)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.The teams shook hands once the minimum eight ends were completed.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.
