Calgary’s Kayla Skrlik achieved a significant victory at the Canadian curling trials in Halifax on Sunday. Skrlik’s team managed to defeat the top-ranked women’s team globally, led by Ottawa’s Rachel Homan, with a nail-biting 8-7 win in extra ends. This triumph ended Homan’s remarkable 32-game winning streak against Canadian opponents, which had lasted for 413 days.
Expressing her excitement, Skrlik mentioned, “It’s a truly confidence-boosting win, the best we could have hoped for. However, we understand it’s a long week ahead, and we must remain focused on each shot and game. Taking it step by step really paid off, especially against Rachel.”
Skrlik, with a 1-2 record, broke the tie in the ninth end with a crucial three-point score. Despite Homan’s efforts in the 10th end, where she forced an extra end by scoring three points, Skrlik remained composed. Reflecting on the intense match, Skrlik shared, “Facing the extra end, especially with the hammer, was all we could have asked for.”
Elsewhere in the trials, Halifax’s Christina Black secured her first win by defeating Winnipeg’s Kaitlyn Lawes 7-3. Meanwhile, Kerri Einarson’s team from Gimli, Manitoba, maintained their unbeaten streak, moving to 3-0 after a commanding 9-1 victory over Corryn Brown of Kamloops, British Columbia.
In the men’s category, Sunday afternoon saw Brad Gushue and Matt Dunstone both improving to 2-0. Gushue outplayed Calgary’s Kevin Koe 5-3, while Dunstone secured a solid 8-4 win over Jordon McDonald. The winners of the men’s and women’s competitions will earn the right to represent Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, Italy.