Canada’s Brad Jacobs secured a spot in the men’s gold-medal game at the Pan Continental Curling Championships by edging past China 5-4 in a tense semifinal clash in Virginia, Minn. Vice-skip Marc Kennedy delivered a flawless performance, executing a triple-takeout in the ninth end to maintain a 4-4 tie. In the final end, with the hammer advantage, Jacobs’ team from Calgary skillfully controlled the four-foot ring to clinch the winning point.
The upcoming final on Sunday will see a rematch between Canada and the United States, with the U.S. securing their spot after a convincing 9-3 victory over Japan. Canada had previously defeated the U.S. 6-5 in the last round-robin match, maintaining a flawless record.
In the women’s category, defending champion Rachel Homan and her Ottawa-based team triumphed over the United States with an impressive 8-3 win in the semifinals. Homan is set to face China’s Team Wang Rui in the final showdown on Sunday. Team Homan, coming off their recent triumph at the Grand Slam championship in Nisku, Alta., will aim for another victory in the final.
China, boasting a perfect 7-0 record in the round robin, secured their place in the final by defeating South Korea’s Team Eunji Gim 6-5 in an extra end in the other semifinal matchup.