Canada’s Brad Jacobs secured a spot in the men’s gold-medal game at the Pan Continental Curling Championships following a tight 5-4 victory over China in the semifinals held in Virginia, Minn. Vice-skip Marc Kennedy delivered a flawless performance, executing a crucial triple-takeout in the ninth end to maintain the 4-4 tie. With the hammer in the final end, the Calgary-based team effectively controlled the four-foot ring, ultimately scoring the decisive point for the win.
In the upcoming final on Sunday, Canada will face the United States in a rematch, as the U.S. secured their spot with a commanding 9-3 triumph over Japan. Canada had previously defeated the U.S. 6-5 in the final draw on Friday, maintaining a perfect record in the round robin stage.
Meanwhile, defending champion Rachel Homan and her Ottawa-based team clinched an 8-3 victory over the United States in the women’s semifinal on Saturday night. Homan is set to compete against China’s Team Wang Rui in the final on Sunday. This will mark Team Homan’s second consecutive Sunday final, following their recent win of the 19th Grand Slam championship in Nisku, Alta.
China, boasting a flawless 7-0 record in the round robin, secured their spot in the final by defeating South Korea’s Team Eunji Gim 6-5 in an extra end in the other semifinal matchup.