Canada’s Brad Jacobs emerged victorious in the men’s Pan Continental Curling Championship after defeating John Schuster of the United States with a score of 7-3. The Pan Continental serves as a regional qualifying event for the upcoming 2026 men’s and women’s world championships.
To secure a spot for Canada in the 2026 championship in Ogden City, Utah, Jacobs and his team, comprising Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant, and Ben Hebert from Calgary’s Glencoe Club, needed to finish among the top four teams. They exceeded expectations by clinching the win over Schuster with a steal of two points in the 10th end.
The Canadian team maintained an undefeated record in Virginia, Minn., securing Canada’s third gold medal in four years. Jacobs expressed his pride in representing Canada and the motivation to continue performing at a high level.
Following their victory, Jacobs and his team are set to participate in the Kioti Grand Slam of Curling Tahoe in California starting on November 4. They will also compete in the Montana’s Canadian Trials in Halifax from November 22-30 to earn the opportunity to represent Canada in the upcoming Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina, Italy.
Looking ahead, Jacobs and his team are focused on defending their Canadian title at the Brier in St. John’s from February 27 to March 8. The Pan Continental event provided them with valuable experience against international competition, preparing them for upcoming challenges throughout the season.
On the women’s side, Canada’s Rachel Homan faced a tough loss to Rui Wang of China in the gold-medal game. Despite some missed opportunities, Homan acknowledged the learning experience from the defeat and expressed pride in her team’s performance.
In the women’s bronze-medal match, South Korea’s Team Eunji Gim secured an 11-8 victory over Team Tabitha Peterson of the United States. Canada had already secured a spot in the 2026 women’s world championship as the host country.
The Pan Continental event was introduced four years ago by World Curling as a counterpart to the European championship but is now coming to an end due to changes in championship formats. The European championship will continue as a standalone competition.