RIGA, Latvia – Canada’s Rachel Homan defeated Erika Brown of the United States 8-6 on Sunday to win the bronze medal at the world women’s curling championship.
Homan scored three points in the third end and never trailed the rest of the way. It was an impressive bounceback performance after a crushing 8-7 semifinal loss to Scotland a day earlier.
“I just tried to forget about everything and go play like we have been playing all week,” Homan said. “I’m really proud of my team for pulling together and sticking together out there and winning the bronze.”
Homan opened the scoring with a nice takeout for a single point in the first end. Brown came back with a deuce in the second.
The Canadian skip had a two-point lead after three ends but Brown shaved the advantage with a takeout for one in the fourth. Homan followed with a tapback for one and a 5-3 edge at the halftime break.
The Americans moved closer with a single in the sixth. Homan padded her lead with a hit for two in the seventh end and wasn’t threatened again after that.
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She led all players with a shooting percentage of 94 per cent. Both teams shot 88 per cent on the day while Brown finished at 87 per cent.
It was a quick turnaround for the Canadians, who lost to Eve Muirhead just 11 hours earlier. Homan had a chance to win the semifinal but she missed a double takeout attempt with her final throw.
Muirhead will play Sweden’s Margaretha Sigfridsson for the gold medal later Sunday.
This was the first appearance at the tournament for the Ottawa Curling Club foursome of Homan, Emma Miskew, Lisa Weagle and Alison Kreviazuk. The 23-year-old skip won silver at the world junior playdowns in 2010.
Canada hasn’t won a world women’s title since Jennifer Jones was victorious in 2008. Homan beat Jones last month at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Kingston, Ont., to qualify for the world championship.
Alberta’s Heather Nedohin skipped Canada to a bronze medal at the 2012 world championship in Lethbridge. Switzerland’s Mirjam Ott beat Sigfridsson in last year’s gold-medal game.
About 100 spectators were on hand for the bronze-medal game at the Volvo Sports Center. A group of vocal Canadian fans were in the front row of the 1,000-seat venue.
They waved Canadian flags and rang cowbells as they’ve done throughout the tournament. During one break in the action, the fans sang “Happy Birthday” to Weagle, who turned 28 Sunday.
The men’s world championship is scheduled for March 30-April 7 at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria. Northern Ontario skip Brad Jacobs will represent Canada.
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