Canada’s Homan improves playoff chances with victory over Italy at the Olympics

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO – A relieved Rachel Homan folded her arms on top of the coach’s bench and rested her head in between them. 

By the slimmest of margins, her Canadian women’s curling team was still in control of its own destiny at the Olympics.

Homan made a nerve-wracking draw that settled just inside an Italian stone for an 8-7 extra-end victory over Stefania Constantini on Wednesday night. The skip’s teammates and coaches could finally exhale as they hugged by the Canadian bench after earning their fourth straight win.

“We’re really proud of ourselves for continuing to stay with it and not to give up or let up,” said Canadian second Emma Miskew. “So that was a little bit of emotion from that too.” 

The much-needed win moved Canada (5-3) into a three-way tie for third place with South Korea’s Eunji Gim and American Tabitha Peterson. Homan will play Gim in their round-robin finale on Thursday. 

With ice conditions changing late in the game and her draw ability impacted as a result, Homan’s game-winning throw picked on the way down.

The unexpected movement – usually caused by on-ice debris like a pebble or a hair – forced Miskew and lead Sarah Wilkes to adjust on the fly.

“It looked like it was sliding a little bit and then it just turned on itself,” Homan said. “So definitely some scary times, but they saw it turn on itself too, so they hit it hard.”

Homan, Miskew, Wilkes and third Tracy Fleury seemed to have the game in control after stealing a pair in the sixth end when Constantini was light on a draw. 

But Italy scored back-to-back singles and Homan was forced to make a highlight-reel draw that spun back on the button for a deuce and 7-4 lead after nine. Constantini built the 10th end nicely and brought the home crowd at Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium back to life with a soft-weight hit to tie the game. 

She got some misses from the Canadian side in the extra end and played a guard with her last stone that forced Homan to draw for the win.

“To see how that last rock travelled and having the girls have to pounce on it, it’s an emotional roller-coaster,” said Canadian coach Heather Nedohin. “That’s what it shows, that these girls want every millimetre.” 

Constantini, who has struggled this week (2-6), brought in alternate Rebecca Mariani for the evening matchup. Her team shot 77 per cent overall, just ahead of the Canadians at 75 per cent. 

“It wasn’t our 100 per cent game but we’re sticking with each other and just trying to make the next one,” Homan said.

Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg (7-2) and Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni (6-2) have secured playoff berths. The other two spots will be determined Thursday. 

Sweden defeated China’s Rui Wang 9-4 and Switzerland scored three in the 10th end for a 6-4 win over Denmark’s Madeleine Dupont. Great Britain’s Sophie Jackson dumped Japan’s Sayaka Yoshimura 9-3 in the other game.

Great Britain is alone in sixth place at 4-4 while Denmark fell to 4-5.

Semifinals will be played Friday and the medal games are set for the weekend. 

This is Homan’s third consecutive appearance at the Winter Olympics. She missed the playoffs in women’s team play in 2018 and didn’t make the cut at the 2022 Games in mixed doubles.

Jennifer Jones skipped the last Canadian team to win Olympic gold. She was victorious at the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 18, 2026.