Canada’s curling powerhouse shut down
PYEONGCHANG —
Canada is not the only curling powerhouse in the world, which may come as a surprise to those watching in dismay as Rachel Homan’s team made an early exit from the Winter Olympics.
Homan and her teammates were uncharacteristically fragile in Pyeongchang, where they struggled with draw weight and half-made shots en route to their elimination from medal contention Wednesday.
The Ottawa foursome has the unwanted distinction of being the first Canadian curling team not to make the Olympic podium.
“A little bit disappointed,” a stoic Homan said after a 6-5 loss to Britain ended their medal hopes. “We wanted to try and qualify and make playoffs for Canada, but we gave it all we had.”
Host South Korea, Sweden, Britain and Japan claimed the four semifinal spots.
Since curling made its return to the Winter Olympics in 1998, a Canadian team had never finished out of the medals in the men’s or women’s events.
Jennifer Jones going undefeated to win Olympic gold for Canada in 2014, and Homan also running the table en route to a world title in 2017, set a high bar for the team that represented Canada in South Korea.
But over the last decade of women’s world curling championships, only two Canadian teams have won gold: Jones in 2008 and Homan. Switzerland, with four titles, China, Germany and Sweden have also won it.
The top European teams, and lately more Asian teams, are regulars in World Curling Tour events in Canada. Similar to hockey, they’ve drawn on Canada’s depth, expertise and coaching. Olympic curling in Pyeongchang is full of Canadians coaching other countries in both mixed doubles and team.
“Folks, let’s wake up. Don’t be hard on Rachel,” said Canada’s four-time men’s world champion Glenn Howard, who coaches the Eve Muirhead British team that bounced Homan.
“The improvement from Vancouver to Sochi, from Sochi to here is unbelievable. Who would have thought certain countries would do as well as they did? I did.
“They’re getting the knowledge, getting what they need to do. Whatever they feel they’re missing in their game, they’re going to find it and they’re bringing it in.”
But the veteran insisted Canadian curling isn’t in crisis.
“The track record we’ve had in Canada is second to none,” Howard said. “To panic and say something like that is ridiculous.
“Settle down, folks.”