Canada’s Brad Jacobs secured his second consecutive victory at the Pan Continental Curling Championship by defeating Marc Pfister of the Philippines with a score of 10-3 on Tuesday. Meanwhile, defending champion Rachel Homan suffered a defeat to Japan with a score of 11-5 but later bounced back with a 10-2 win against New Zealand in the evening session.
The Pan Continental serves as a regional qualifier for the 2026 men’s and women’s world championships. Canada has already earned a spot in the women’s world championship as the host nation, scheduled from March 14-22 in Calgary. The top four countries in the men’s Pan Continental event will join the United States as the host for next year’s men’s championship in Ogden City, Utah, from March 27 to April 4.
Jacobs started the tournament with a 10-4 victory over China’s Xiaoming Xu. Notably, this match marked their first encounter since Jacobs defeated Xu in the bronze medal game at the world championship held in Moose Jaw, Sask., in April.
Jacobs, along with his teammates Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant, and Ben Hebert, all representing Calgary’s Glencoe Club, exhibited strong performance against the Philippines. Pfister, the skip for the Philippines, has international curling experience with Switzerland.
Looking ahead, Jacobs and his team are among the eight men’s teams competing for a chance to represent Canada at the Winter Olympics in February. They view the Pan Continental as crucial preparation for the upcoming trials in Halifax from Nov. 22-30.
The team’s focus this season has been on learning and improving their on-ice communication. Working with Ottawa sport psychologist Jason Boivin, Jacobs emphasized the importance of effective communication, clock management, game planning, decision-making, and certainty within the team dynamics.
In their upcoming matches, the Canadian men are set to face South Korea’s Soo-Hyuk Kim and New Zealand’s Sean Becker on Wednesday. Homan, on the other hand, reflected on her team’s performance against Japan, acknowledging the challenges faced and the lessons learned during the game.
Homan’s team experienced a quick turnaround after clinching the Co-op Tour Challenge Grand Slam women’s final in Nisku, Alta., which added to their busy schedule at the Pan Continental Curling Championship.