Sydney, NS –
Canada's Rachel Homan scored three points in the 10th round for a 9-7 semifinal victory over South Korea's Eunji Gim at the World Women's Curling Championship on Saturday.
The Ottawa-based team of Homan, Tracy Fleury, Emma Miskew and Sarah Wilkes will play defending champion Silvana Tirinzoni of Switzerland for gold on Sunday.
In the other semifinal at Center 200, Tirinzoni defeated Italy's Stefania Constantini 6-3. South Korea and Italy will play for bronze.
Trailing by a point in the 10th period, the Canadian team turned up the pressure and forced the South Korean team into some hit-and-roll attempts that weren't completely buried.
Homan made a double takeout with her first rock and secured three points. Gim responded with a draw that was only half covered and Homan settled for victory to the delight of the partisan crowd.
Homan secured a direct berth to the afternoon semifinals as the top seed after posting a round-robin record of 11-1. Their only loss came on Friday evening in a playoff tournament against Gim, with the top spot already secured.
Gim secured a spot in the Final Four with a 6-3 victory over Sweden's Anna Hasselborg in a morning qualifying match.
Homan's draw weight was on point all week and she picked up a pair in the second end to open the scoring. Gim responded in the third with a double takeout for three.
The teams traded singles over the next four ends before Canada got a deuce on a draw by Homan on the button. Gim was difficult with two draws in a row before the Canadian knight's last throw.
In the ninth round, Homan rubbed the South Korean stone at the four-foot ring to help Gim deliver a soft strike that led to the second goal.
Canada achieved a 91 percent lead overall compared to 82 percent for South Korea. Gim had a game-low 75 percent and only scored 57 percent in draws.
In the other qualifying match, Constantini defeated Denmark's Madeleine Dupont 7-4.
Homan is aiming for her first world title since winning gold in Beijing in 2017. Canada last won gold in the event in 2018, when Jennifer Jones won in North Bay, Ontario.
Tirinzoni, the world No. 2, has won four consecutive world titles. The top-ranked Homan defeated them in round-robin play, ending the Swiss diver's 42-game winning streak in the competition.
Homan's lone round-robin loss ended her team's 27-game winning streak. Their rink has a season record of 61-6.
Third-placed Gim and ninth-placed Constantini are both taking part in the event for the fifth time. None of the skiers have ever made it to the women's world podium before.
The Men's World Curling Championships will take place from March 30 to April 7 in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. Brad Gushue of St. John's, NL, will skip the Canadian team.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 23, 2024.