Curling dominance: Top-ranked Team Rachel Homan on an incredible run

When longtime coach Paul Webster first started working with Rachel Homan and Emma Miskew at a curling camp back in their junior days, he could sense they had the potential for big things on the pebbled ice.

A recent one-off visit to their coach's bench gave him a first-hand look at a women's team at the peak of its powers.

"I just think their expectations of perfection are so high," Webster said.

Homan and her Ottawa-based rink of third Tracy Fleury, Miskew and lead Sarah Wilkes were simply dominant over the 2023-24 season. An eye-popping 67-7 record included a perfect run at the national playdowns and a gold medal at the world championship.

They have somehow managed to take their play to a higher level this season.

Homan's crew is a stunning 40-2 on the campaign and has reached all three Grand Slam of Curling finals, winning twice. The top-ranked side takes a 23-game winning streak into the New Year.

"It's completely crazy," said Curling Canada chief executive officer Nolan Thiessen. "If you look back from the start of last curling season, Rachel is 107-9. She hasn't lost double-digit games in the last year and a half.

"That is unheard of in our game."

Homan ran the table at her first two events this season before dropping two games in October at the HearingLife Tour Challenge.

She fell to Italy's Stefania Constantini in her second draw and lost to Kerri Einarson of Gimli, Man., in the final. That was followed by a 9-0 showing at the Pan Continental Championship and back-to-back Grand Slam titles.

"I think hard work and resilience are both equally important contributors to 2024," Miskew said in a text message.

With the team's coaching position vacated after Brendan Bottcher returned to play in October, Homan's side had