Rachel Homan, Brendan Bottcher advance to final at Canadian mixed doubles curling trials | CBC Sports

Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher claimed a spot in the final of the Canadian mixed doubles curling trials in Liverpool, N.S.

Homan, of Beaumont, Alta., and Bottcher, of Spruce Grove, Alta., defeated Ottawa’s Lisa Weagle and Toronto’s John Epping by a score of 8-6 in Saturday’s semifinal.

Homan and Bottcher will face Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant of Chestermere, Alta., on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET in the final of the event. That match is available on the Curling Canada YouTube channel.

“To be honest, I’m really proud of us,” Bottcher said in a media release. “I think we put a pile of work in this year. I think we’ve done a lot of the right things. It doesn’t surprise me that we’re here, but I’m certainly grateful that we are.

“I’m just looking forward to coming out in a few hours and hopefully playing our best and leaving it all out there.”

The trials winner can represent Canada in the 2026 Olympic Games if the duo also finishes high enough at the 2025 world championship to qualify their country for Italy.

The Olympic field will include the top eight ranked countries in the world, or the top seven plus host Italy if the Italians aren’t in the top eight. Canada currently ranks fifth.