Homan and Bottcher Punch Ticket to Canadian Mixed Doubles Olympic Trials
Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher will be spending New Year's Eve, in sleepy Liverpool, Nova Scotia, for the Canadian Mixed Doubles Olympic Trials. The duo secured their spot at the Trials with a dominant performance on Sunday, winning the second qualifying event at the Guelph Curling Club.
Representing Edmonton, Homan and Bottcher cruised to an 8-1 victory over Unionville, Ontario's Lauren Wasylkiw and Shane Konings in the final. The match was decided early, with Homan and Bottcher scoring four points in the third end, prompting Wasylkiw and Konings to concede after just four ends.
The final opportunity to qualify for the Trials comes next month, with a third event scheduled in Banff from December 5-8. The remaining spots for the Trials will be filled based on the Canadian Mixed Doubles Rankings. Several high-profile teams have already qualified, including last year's national champions Kadriana and Colton Lott, as well as Laura Walker and Kirk Muyres, Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant, and Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing.
Despite the stiff competition, Homan, 35, and Bottcher, 32, are likely to be among the biggest names — and possibly the favorites — heading into the Trials. The two seasoned curlers are competing together in mixed doubles for the first time this season. Bottcher initially joined Homan’s team as a coach for the 2023-24 season, but he no longer coaches her after a vacancy opened on Brad Gushue’s Brier-winning squad in St. John's, Newfoundland, following EJ Harnden's departure.
Homan brings significant mixed doubles experience to the team. She and John Morris represented Canada at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, despite the Trials being canceled due to COVID-19. However, they were unable to make the playoffs, falling short of a podium finish.
The Canadian Mixed Doubles Olympic Trials will take place over the holidays, from December 30 to January 4, at the Queens Place Emera Centre in Liverpool, N.S., as the final teams compete for a chance to represent Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
