CORTINA D’AMPEZZO – Body language told part of the story for Rachel Homan’s Canadian curling team Friday at the Winter Olympics.
The breezy, confident assuredness that marked the team’s opener at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium was replaced at times in the second game by slumped shoulders, squinting looks and grim-faced indecision.
The statistics also offered some explanation for a surprise 9-8 loss to the United States. Homan, Tracy Fleury, Emma Miskew and Sarah Wilkes were outshot at each position by their American opponents.
“Welcome to the first half of the week when you’re still learning the ice, learning the rocks, and getting your emotions in check,” said Canada coach Heather Nedohin.
A four-point sixth end by the Americans swung the momentum and gave them a 6-3 lead. Canada got a deuce back in the seventh and U.S. skip Tabitha Peterson played the percentages in the eighth, making a hit for a single and a two-point lead.
Homan scored three points in the ninth to regain the lead. But down one with hammer was still an ideal position for the Americans, who were able to build the 10th end after a stone-clearing runback by American second Tara Peterson.
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Fleury made a world-class hit and roll that froze on the American rock but Homan missed a double-takeout with her last shot, allowing the U.S. skip to draw for the win.
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“We have tons of games ahead of us, but this is going to pump our tires for sure,” Tabitha Peterson said.
Homan, who posted a 10-4 win over Denmark’s Madeleine Dupont a day earlier, fell to 1-1. The Americans were tied with South Korea’s Eunji Gim in third place at 2-1.
Canada has a two-game day Saturday with a morning matchup against Great Britain’s Sophie Jackson (0-2) ahead of an evening game against Silvana Tirinzoni of Switzerland (2-0). Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg was the only other unbeaten rink at 3-0.
“Welcome to the big stage,” Nedohin said. “Losses come to different teams at different times and that’s the way they roll.”
Canada enjoyed a strong start with a deuce in the second end and then forced U.S. skip Peterson to make a draw against four in the third.
The Americans pressured the Canadians over the next few ends. Homan’s triple-takeout attempt in the fourth removed two of the three stones to give the U.S. a steal.
In the fifth, facing three counters, Homan was forced to make a hit for a single.
The Canadian skip tried a double-takeout in the pivotal sixth end but removed only one rock and her shooter rolled out. That allowed Peterson to draw for her first lead of the game.
“We had a couple of really good opportunities that we didn’t capitalize on,” Nedohin said. “Rachel is known for her doubles and when we miss two in one end, it’s very surprising.”
The Americans felt that generating a point in the eighth end was better than blanking with a one-point lead.
“If we score in eight, we will win the game if it’s close,” Tabitha Peterson said. “Don’t ask me exact percentages as I’m not the guru that’s behind all the stats, but that’s what’s been working for us.”
Canada couldn’t put enough pressure on in the 10th to force an extra end.
“We fought the whole way and gave ourselves a chance,” Homan said.
This is Homan’s third straight appearance at the Winter Games. She missed the playoffs in 2018 in women’s team play and missed the cut in 2022 in mixed doubles.
“We’re playing against the best in the world, so we are expecting losses this week,” said Fleury, who’s making her Olympic debut. “So it’s OK, it won’t rattle us. We’ll have a good debrief and we’ll learn from it.”
Canada hasn’t won women’s team gold at the Games since Jennifer Jones was victorious in 2014.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 13, 2026.
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