Homan Wins Record-Extending 20th Grand Slam Title at KIOTI GSOC Tahoe
Canada's Rachel Homan secured her 20th Grand Slam of Curling title by defeating Switzerland's Silvana Tirinzoni 7-4 in Sunday’s final at the KIOTI GSOC Tahoe.
This victory marks Homan's record-extending achievement and her third consecutive Grand Slam final win against the top-ranked world teams. Homan’s Ottawa-based team, including third Tracy Fleury, second Emma Miskew, and lead Sarah Wilkes, completed the tournament with a flawless 7-0 record and earned a $42,000 prize.
"Yeah, it's an unbelievable feeling, especially winning a game that was a battle out there for both teams," Homan said. "It's just really fun to play such an amazing team, and being able to pull out the win is an awesome feeling."
The runner-up Swiss team of Tirinzoni, fourth Alina Pätz, second Carole Howald, and lead Selina Witschonke faced their only defeat of the tournament in the final, receiving $34,000. Tirinzoni currently holds an 18-3 Grand Slam record this season, with all three losses coming against Homan in finals.
The Swiss team started the final with the hammer, aiming to avoid a repeat of last month's CO-OP Tour Challenge, where an early hit and rollout allowed Homan to steal four points.
Author's Summary: Rachel Homan extended her Grand Slam of Curling record to 20 titles with a perfect tournament performance, consistently outplaying top-ranked rivals like Silvana Tirinzoni.