Canadian skip Rachel Homan achieved a significant milestone on Sunday as her Ottawa-based team triumphed over Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni with a score of 8-2 in the CO-OP Tour Challenge final in Nisku, Alta. Homan clinched her 19th Grand Slam title, surpassing Kevin Martin to become the skip with the most titles in both divisions. Growing up in nearby Beaumont, Alta., Homan secured the victory in front of a supportive crowd of family, friends, and fans.
Homan, along with her team members Tracy Fleury, Emma Miskew, and Sarah Wilkes, earned $34,500 for their victory. This final marked the ninth encounter between Homan and Tirinzoni in a Grand Slam women’s final, with Homan leading the head-to-head matchups 7-2. Homan expressed her delight by stating, “You couldn’t ask for anything more than that to have your home Slam be the one that you break records. It’s just really surreal right now to be able to do it in front of friends and family.”
In the final match, Homan started strong by scoring four points in the first end. She maintained a lead of 5-2 after four ends and sealed the win with a steal of one in the fifth end and two points in the sixth. On the men’s side, Bruce Mouat from Scotland secured a 5-2 victory over Matt Dunstone from Winnipeg, Man., by scoring two points in the first and fourth ends. This win marked Mouat’s 11th Grand Slam title, while Dunstone had previously won the AMJ Masters in London, Ont.
The match was a highly anticipated rematch of the 2016 world junior final, where Dunstone claimed bronze for Canada and Mouat secured gold for Scotland.