Rachel Homan’s rink flipped the script at Milano Cortina 2026, surging from an early stumble to punch Canada’s ticket to the Olympic semifinals with a pressure-packed win over South Korea.
Canada’s Olympic women’s curling team is officially in the final four after a 10-7 victory over South Korea on Thursday, sealing a semifinal berth and guaranteeing a shot at a medal. The result capped a late-tournament surge for Rachel Homan’s Ottawa-based rink, which closed round-robin play at 6-3 after reeling off five straight wins.
A win-and-in showdown with the standings tied
The stakes were crystal clear heading into the matchup. Canada and South Korea arrived with identical 5-3 records, making the game a de facto playoff before the playoffs. One team would keep its medal hopes alive. The other would be done.
Homan’s lineup — third Emma Miskew, second Sarah Wilkes, and lead Tracy Fleury — played with the urgency of a group that knew there was no margin left. Canada’s shot-making tightened as the game wore on, and the rink’s communication looked sharper than it did earlier in the week.
The sixth end that broke the game open
Canada’s decisive push came in the sixth end, when the Canadians put up a massive four-point count to seize control. In a sport where one swing end can reshape everything — strategy, risks, and momentum — that burst gave Canada a cushion and forced South Korea into chase mode.
From there, Canada leaned into a simpler plan: manage the house, limit chaos, and make South Korea throw the low-percentage shots. The approach worked. Homan’s rink stayed composed, kept the scoreboard pressure on, and avoided the kind of unforced mistakes that can turn a tight Olympic game sideways.
Homan closes it in the 10th
With South Korea still trying to apply late pressure, Homan delivered in the 10th end with a clean hit to lock down the win and end any comeback talk. Final score: Canada 10, South Korea 7.
The loss knocked South Korea out of playoff contention, while Canada climbed into the semifinals on the strength of its late surge.
From 1-3 to the final four
What makes this qualification feel bigger than a single win is the path Canada took to get here. The Canadians started the round robin at 1-3, a record that usually leaves little room for error in Olympic curling. The response was immediate and relentless: five consecutive victories to finish 6-3 and secure a spot among the tournament’s last teams standing.
That kind of turnaround doesn’t happen on luck alone. It’s built on adjustments — reading the ice better, calling cleaner ends, and trusting the sweep and weight calls when pressure rises. Canada looked like a team that found its timing at exactly the right moment.
The playoff picture tightens around Canada
With the round robin complete, the semifinals now bring Canada into a medal-weekend environment where every shot feels heavier. Sweden and Switzerland were already positioned among the top teams entering the session, and the final four includes rinks with deep international pedigree.
Canada’s advantage right now is momentum. This group has been playing “must-win” curling for days, and it has the feel of a rink that’s comfortable living inside that tension — calm when the crowd gets loud, and steady when the house gets crowded.
Semifinal up next: a medal is within reach
Canada returns to the ice Friday morning with a place in the gold-medal match on the line. One more win and Homan’s rink will be playing for Olympic gold. One more loss and Canada will still have a chance to play for bronze — but the goal, clearly, is to keep riding this run as far as it can go.
For readers who want a quick official recap of the clinching game and the stakes, see this Sportsnet report.
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