Kerri Einarson extended her perfect streak at the Canadian Olympic curling trials on Tuesday evening in Halifax by defeating Kayla Skrlik 6-5. Einarson, hailing from Gimli, Manitoba, secured her sixth victory of the competition, despite already clinching a playoff berth. The four-time Canadian women’s champion managed to score a single point in the last end against Calgary’s Skrlik, who now stands at 2-4 in the trials.
Reflecting on her team’s performance, Einarson expressed satisfaction, stating, “Given the challenges we’ve faced this season, it’s gratifying to see our hard work pay off. We have really bonded as a team this week, and it’s a great feeling.” Meanwhile, Rachel Homan from Ottawa maintained pressure on Einarson with an 8-7 triumph over Kaitlyn Lawes, improving her record to 5-1.
Despite giving up a steal of three points in the seventh end, Homan, a two-time reigning Canadian and world champion, responded strongly by scoring two in the eighth end and stealing one in the ninth to secure a two-point lead. Although Lawes had an opportunity to force an extra end, her draw was too heavy, resulting in just one point for her.
Both Einarson and Homan have secured spots in the three-team playoffs and are scheduled to face off in a round-robin finale on Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET to determine the top spot and earn a bye into the best-of-three finals. The team that finishes first in the round-robin standings will advance directly to the final, while the second and third seeds will compete in a semifinal match.
In the men’s afternoon session, 2006 Olympic champion Brad Gushue and 2014 gold medalist Brad Jacobs emerged victorious, leading to a three-way tie for the top position. Gushue, representing St. John’s, secured an 8-6 win over Jordon McDonald from Winnipeg, scoring two points in an extra end. Jacobs and his Calgary team also claimed a 6-4 victory against John Epping from Toronto.
Heading into the final two draws of the men’s round-robin stage on Wednesday, Gushue, Jacobs, and Matt Dunstone from Winnipeg are all tied at 4-1. Dunstone suffered his first defeat of the tournament on Tuesday afternoon, losing 5-4 to Kevin Koe from Calgary. Mike McEwen triumphed over Ryan Kleiter in a match between Saskatoon skips, with both McEwen and Koe closely trailing the leaders at 3-2. Kleiter and Epping held 1-4 records, while McDonald remained winless at 0-5.
The champions of the men’s and women’s trials will earn the opportunity to represent Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina, Italy.