Rachel Homan Beats Jennifer Jones For 4th Scotties Title As Retiring Legend Falls Short Of History | CBC Sports

Ontario’s Rachel Homan won her fourth Canadian women’s curling championship with a 5-4 victory over Manitoba’s Jennifer Jones on Sunday in Calgary. Homan denied the retiring legend’s bid for a record-breaking seventh Scotties Tournament of Hearts title in her final appearance.

Ontario skip secures 5-4 win in 10th end to cap undefeated run in CalgaryDonna Spencer · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Feb 25, 2024 4:40 PM EST | Last Updated: 27 minutes ago

From left: Ontario skip Rachel Homan, vice-skip Tracy Fleury, second Emma Miskew and lead Sarah Wilkes pose with the trophy after defeating Jennifer Jones’s Manitoba team in the final at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Calgary on Sunday. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)Ontario’s Rachel Homan reclaimed the Canadian women’s curling championship seven years after her last one with a 5-4 win over Manitoba’s Jennifer Jones on Sunday in Calgary.

Homan denied the retiring legend’s bid for a record-breaking seventh Scotties Tournament of Hearts title in her final appearance.

Homan and longtime teammate Emma Miskew won their fourth titles and lead Sarah Wilkes her second. It was the first for Homan’s third Tracy Fleury.

“Unbelievable,” Homan said. “Tracy Fleury is an unbelievable competitor and so happy we can win it with her.

“Phenomenal to be able to do it with my kids here. One’s missing back at home because he doesn’t sleep, but I know he’s cheering hard.”

WATCH | Homan wins 4th Scotties title:

Homan claims 4th Scotties title as Jones falls in final appearanceOntario’s Rachel Homan defeats Manitoba’s Jennifer Jones 5-4 to win the Canadian women’s curling championship. Homan denies the retiring legend’s bid for a record-breaking seventh Scotties Tournament of Hearts title in her final appearance.

They will represent Canada at the world championship March 16-24 in Sydney, N.S., and will return to the 2025 Tournament of Hearts in Thunder Bay, Ont., as defending champions.

Homan’s team also earned $100,000 in prize money for the victory, as well as a berth in the 2025 Canadian curling trials pending a top-six finish in Sydney.

Homan won three Tournament of Hearts between 2013 and 2017 and lost in the final three straight years between 2019 and 2021. The skip gave birth to her third child last year and Wilkes also had her first child.

“I can’t describe the feeling of just coming so close, so many times losing, I don’t know, feels like seven finals,” Homan said.

“We put in the work and we didn’t have as much time as we would have liked because of the kids, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. They motivate us. So excited to get to share this journey with them and show them dedication and hard work and setting your goals high.”

From left: Alternate Rachelle Brown, Wilkes, Miskew, Fleury and Homan celebrate after winning the Canadian women’s curling title. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)Her Ottawa Curling Club foursome went undefeated at 11-0 in Calgary on the strength of defence that averaged less than four points against per game, and in a field that featured the top-eight ranked teams in Canada.

Homan didn’t give up a steal in the tournament until a playoff win over Jones that went to an extra end Saturday. Homan also defeated Jones 7-5 in pool play.

“We had to beat them three times and it came down to the last rock on every single one,” the skip said.

Sharing this win with the family! #STOH2024 pic.twitter.com/ghKqA1jmaw

—@CurlingCanadaSix-time champion Jones intends to retire from women’s team curling at the end of this season, although the 49-year-old from Winnipeg will compete in mixed doubles with her husband.

The decorated veteran lost in a Hearts final, which was the 11th of her career, a second straight year. Homan had hammer coming home with the score tied 4-4, but she didn’t need to throw her last rock.

Jones, needing to draw to the button with her final rock, rubbed on an Ontario stone in the four-foot rings and rolled just wide, which gave Homan her point for the victory.

“My last one got by. You [don’t] want to end on a miss,” Jones said. “I thought we played a really great game today. We showed up to play and it could have gone either way and unfortunately it didn’t go our way today.”

‘Really hard to say goodbye’Jones stood in the middle of the home-end rings to acknowledge the standing ovation she received at the sold-out crowd of 3,195 at WinSport Event Centre.

“I love being part of this curling community,” Jones said. “The standing ovation was more than I could have ever expected, the fact that all these people came and supported our sport and kind of support me means the world.

“This moment, it’s really hard to say goodbye to be honest.”

Jones becomes emotional while receiving a standing ovation at Calgary’s WinSport Event Centre after Sunday’s loss. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)Homan led 3-1 at the fifth end break with a steal of one in the fifth. Homan outcurled Jones 98 per cent to 68 over the first five ends.

Jones grouped rocks in the ninth to to set up for a multi-point end. Homan managed to clear a couple, but left her counterpart a shot for two to tie the game.

WATCH | Jennifer Jones joins That Curling Show to reflect on sparkling career:

Jennifer Jones reflects on her career, legacy, and life after curlingJennifer Jones joins That Curling Show ahead of her final appearance at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, with the announcement that she will be retiring at the end of this season. The skip reflects on her illustrious career, the influence of her dad on her journey, and what she plans to do next.

After lead Joanne Courtney retired in 2022, Homan brought Fleury on board to skip and throw third stones, while she threw fourth rocks.

Longtime third Emma Miskew shifted to second and Wilkes to lead. They didn’t reach the final four in last year’s Hearts in Kamloops, B.C.

Homan took the broom back this season as the four women settled into their new positions. They’ve lost just five games in almost 60 played this season.

“You put in the work and you hope it’s enough,” Homan said. “Today it was enough.”

Homan, Miskew, Courtney and Lisa Weagle won a world championship in 2017 in Beijing, a silver medal in 2014 in Saint John, N.B., and a bronze in 2013 in Riga, Latvia.

With files from CBC Sports

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