Canada’s Brad Jacobs emerged victorious at the men’s Pan Continental Curling Championship by defeating John Schuster of the United States with a score of 7-3. The Pan Continental serves as a regional qualifier for the 2026 men’s and women’s world championships.
Jacobs, along with his team, secured a spot for Canada in next year’s event in Ogden City, Utah, by finishing among the top four teams. The team, which includes Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant, and Ben Hebert, clinched the championship with a steal of two points in the 10th end.
The Canadian team, representing Calgary’s Glencoe Club, maintained an unbeaten record throughout the competition in Virginia, Minn. This victory marked Canada’s third gold medal in four years following Brad Gushue’s triumphs in 2022 and 2023.
Following their success, Jacobs and his team are set to participate in the Kioti Grand Slam of Curling Tahoe in California starting on November 4. Subsequently, they will compete in the Montana’s Canadian Trials in Halifax from November 22 to 30 for the opportunity to represent Canada at the upcoming Olympic Games in Italy.
Additionally, the team aims to defend their Canadian title at the Brier in St. John’s from February 27 to March 8. The Pan Continental Championship was viewed as a valuable experience against top international competitors by the Canadian team.
On the women’s side, Canada’s Rachel Homan faced a 7-6 defeat against Rui Wang of China in the gold-medal game. Despite showcasing strong performances, including notable shots by Tracy Fleury and Homan, China’s strategic play secured them the victory.
Homan acknowledged the team’s fatigue following a series of recent competitions but expressed pride in their resilience and performance. In the women’s bronze-medal match, South Korea’s Team Eunji Gim triumphed over Team Tabitha Peterson of the United States with a score of 11-8.
The Pan Continental Curling Championship, introduced by World Curling four years ago, has served as a platform for North American and Asian teams. However, with changes in championship structures, the event will no longer continue, with focus shifting to the European championship as a standalone competition.