Rachel Homan’s Canadian women’s curling team came to the Milan Cortina Olympics as the definitive favorites and the No. 1-ranked team in the world.

They proved why on Saturday.

In the bronze medal match of the 2026 Olympics, the Canadians broke a back-and-forth game open in the second half on the way to a 10-7 win over Team USA.

"There’s no better feeling than stepping on the ice and trying to bow out against anyone to get a medal for your country," Homan said after the win. "We didn't take that lightly."

The bronze is the first Olympic medal for Homan, who is one of the most decorated curlers of all time with three world championships and 20 grand slam wins. Her team improves to 193-27 over the last three years and takes home Canada’s first Olympic women’s curling medal since 2014.

Canada was playing in the bronze match after losing the Sweden in the semifinals on Friday.

"Obviously, a loss can sting not getting back to the gold medal final, but we didn't let that affect us today," she added. "Obviously, there’s some emotion, but we put that aside. For us coming here, we wanted to fight hard for that medal and that’s what we did today and we’re so unbelievably proud of it."

Neither team scored more than a single point until Canada put up three in the sixth. They went on to score another three-point end and finish with two in the 10th for the win.

The Americans were playing in the bronze medal game for the first time since 2002 — a game they also lost to Canada. Tabitha Peterson’s team leaves Cortina in 4th place, matching the best Olympic finish for any U.S. women’s curling team.

"Really proud. The journey to get here is never easy, so that in itself is a feat," Peterson said. "Going through the Olympic qualification event to then making the playoffs for the first time, I’m really, really proud of the hard work that we've put in the last year to get to this point. Unfortunately, it just wasn't meant to be today."

Here's an end-by-end look at how the game was played...

Homan drew to the button with pinpoint accuracy on her final stone, leaving Canada sitting two on the four-foot. Peterson went for the tap to get that Canadian stone off the button, and got it, but it didn’t move far enough to give her squad two. The U.S. settled for one and an early lead.

USA 1, Canada 0

Homan’s first throw was a double-takeout attempt that just overcurled and left one U.S. stone sitting in the back of the eight-foot. That Canadian stone was all alone, leaving an easy takeout for Peterson.

The U.S. was lying three ahead of Canada’s hammer throw. Homan took out one and pushed another, and the Canadians were forced to settle for one.

USA 1, Canada 1 

Homan came up with a takeout and the sweepers got her stone inside, leaving Canada sitting two on the edge of the button. 

Peterson’s hammer was light, leaving Tara Peterson and Taylor Anderson-Heide the task of sweeping it inside. They got it to move just enough to draw inches closer to the button for one.

USA 2, Canada 1

Homan’s first throw was a tough draw that halted right on the button to give Canada shot rock. 

Peterson responded with a draw to the top of that stone, which ended up being in the perfect spot. Homan’s final throw was a draw attempt to the back of the button. It hit that U.S. stone and spun too far, going into the four-foot. Canada again was forced to just one.

Canada 2, USA 2

On the United States' fifth stone, Cory Thiesse threw a runback that took out two Canadian stones sitting in the four-foot. After Canada drew inside on their next throw, Thiesse eliminated that stone, too, as the Americans tried for a blank.

Canada sat one stone in the eight-foot just left of the T-Line, and another on the 12-foot too far away to get a double. Peterson looked to eliminate the rock sitting at the top and nearly got it, but it bit the back of the house ever so slightly to count. 

Homan took out the lone U.S. stone, and Canada lied three with just the U.S. hammer remaining. Peterson’s best option was a draw to the button, and again the Americans settled for just one for a single-point lead at the halfway break.

USA 3, Canada 2

As Canada worked to keep the house clean of American stones, they sat two on opposite sides of the 12-foot ahead of the skip stones.

Peterson’s final throw was a takeout attempt of Canada’s stone in the back of the 12-foot, but she just missed and it skimmed past the Canadian rock, leaving it sitting closer in the 12-foot. It was her first real miss of the match.

All Homan needed to do was take out the U.S. stone, and she secured three for Team Canada.

It was the first multi-point end for either team.

"We kind of had some uncharacteristic misses," Peterson said of the sixth. "They took advantage of that and then we were kind of digging and fighting after that."

Canada 5, USA 3

Peterson moved on quickly from her mistake in the sixth.

The U.S. sat one shot rock and a lane inside for a draw of two ahead of the hammer throw. Peterson’s final stone went down the lane and looked to be too heavy, but it hit a red Canadian stone in the four-foot, slowing it down enough to stop right on the button and give Team USA two.

Canada 5, USA 5

On the skip stones, Peterson started with a hit-and-roll off of a Canadian stone in the eight-foot. Her stone went into the button, but probably needed to go about a foot further to be protected.

Homan removed that U.S. stone with ease on her first throw.

Peterson tried for a big throw to eliminate as many of Canada’s stones on the inside as possible, but only got one. Homan drew for three again to put Canada back on top big.

Canada 8, USA 5

Canada looked to be setting up a dominant end and a steal as they crowded the house with six stones, including one sitting shot. 

The U.S. tried to clear the house on three straight throws to make some room, and Peterson delivered in the end. Her final throw went in with enough momentum to runback off her own stone and get the red rock off the button, giving Team USA two to pull within one and give her team a chance going into the final end.

"We battled back," Thiesse said. "Those couple of threes that we gave up were unfortunate, but we battled back and got our twos. We had a pretty good last end formulating in there. I’m just really proud of the girls for sticking with it and grinding it through, but definitely that one's going to sting for a while."

Canada 8, USA 7

The U.S. had 13 stolen ends in nine round-robin games this Olympics, the second-most of any team in the tournament. They needed one more on Saturday, but couldn’t get it done.

Canada had three rocks in the four-foot, including two sitting shot, while the U.S. had just one in the pile going into the skip stones.

On Peterson’s final stone, she tried for a big throw to break up the house party, but couldn’t get past a Canada guard. Her final throw didn’t make it into the house, and Canada walked away with the win.

"It's never over until it's over," Peterson said. "We’ve just got to stick with it and keep fighting for every point and every game. A lot can happen out there, and today it just wasn’t meant to be."

Canada 10, United States 7

SCOREBOARD

Both team finished with 32 takeouts. Tracy Fleury led Canada with 12, and Emma Miskew added 10.

Canada shot 91 percent on takeouts as a team, 88 percent on draw shows, and 80 percent on all shots in the win.

Tara Peterson led Team USA with 12 takeouts, and Tabitha Peterson and Thiesse had 10 each.

The U.S. shot 81 percent on takeouts, 78 percent on draws, and 82 percent on all shots.

Canada leaves Cortina 7-4.

"Wearing that Maple Leaf and representing Canada with as much tenacity and pride as we can, we never want to let up," Homan said. "And I think we showed that this week. We were kind of in a single elimination for what felt like the entire week. We just kept staying in the process and staying in the moment, and we believed that we could put ourselves in a position to get a medal, and that’s what we did. It's unbelievable how we stuck together. Even after some losses, it made us work even harder. There’s a lot of friendships on this team and everyone was pulling in the same direction. There's not enough words describe how proud I am of this team and how hard we fought for each other and for Canada."

The U.S. finishes the Olympics 6-5.

"I’m just so lucky to be out there with so amazing teammates, and we made history so many times this month, which is incredible, " Thiesse said. "It's incredible for USA curling. I just want to keep this going."