Rachel Homan, Emma Miskew, Alison Kreviazuk and Lisa Weagle look to continue their winning ways at the Women’s World Curling Championship, which starts March 15.
The Ottawa Curling Club recently hosted a spirited send-off for Rachel Homan’s Canadian championship curling team as the athletes prepared to head to New Brunswick for the upcoming Ford Women’s World Championship.
A dominant repeat win at the Scotties Canadian championships in February gave Homan and her teammates the chance to represent Canada at the worldwide competition beginning Saturday in Saint John.
Having won bronze after a disappointing semi-final loss to Scotland at the 2013 world championships, the team is eager for a second opportunity to bring gold home for Canada.
“A sign of a good team is repeating as champions, so we’ve done that by winning the Canadians again,” says Team Homan’s head coach, Earle Morris. “So now it’s a question of going to the worlds and showing that we’re better. It’s a chance at redemption.”
The team members took a step back from their training after a crushing semi-final loss at the Canadian Olympic Trials in December in order to regroup for last month’s Scotties.
Their home rink, located at 440 O’Connor St., was filled with family and friends of the team members who were all eager to show their support and send them off with warm regards.
“This year we want to try and get to that final,” says Homan. “We put in the work and we know that if we play our game that will happen.”
Of the 11 teams competing in Saint John, the rinks from Russia, Sweden, and Korea are the only ones returning from the 2014 Olympic Games.
Team Homan has faced the Swedish powerhouse twice in the past two years, splitting the matches.
“They’re a standout team,” says Team Homan’s lead, Lisa Weagle.
Morris is confident, however, believing the so-called “Olympic hangover” might give his team an advantage over those returning from Sochi.
“Everybody puts so much into the Olympics” Morris said. “Now, they’ve got to come here, maybe after being home, and be ready to play in the worlds.”
Team Homan’s third, Emma Miskew, says her team is not daunted by facing those they have rarely, or never, met in international competition before.
“We don’t prepare for specific teams, we just prepare to play our best,” she says. “We play against the shots that are made. It doesn’t differ from playing another team from Canada.”