Canada Off to Perfect Start at Women’s Curling Worlds

Summary:

• Team Einarson opened the 2026 World Women’s Curling Championship with a strong 3-0 record.
• Canada defeated Sweden, the United States, and China, including a 9-3 win over Wang Rui on Sunday.
• The Canadians will face Denmark next as they try to keep their early momentum going.

Team Canada is off to the kind of start it has been hoping for at the 2026 World Women’s Curling Championship.

After years where early stumbles put pressure on them later in the week, Team Einarson has come out sharp this time around with three wins in their first three games at WinSport Event Centre. 

“It’s Nice to Get These Wins Under Our Belts” 

Their latest victory came Sunday afternoon, a comfortable 9-3 win over China’s Wang Rui.

For the Canadian squad from Manitoba, the quick start feels important.

Canada second Shannon Birchard said,

Yeah … it’s just huge to build some momentum. You know … we’re a team that sometimes gets our back against the wall early, and it’s not fun to play that way. So it’s nice to get these wins under our belts and just feel the confidence.

Canada’s strong opening began on Saturday when the team scooped a pair of victories, first against Sweden’s Isabella Wranå 7-5, followed with an 11-3 win against the United States and skip Delaney Strouse.

The team has also looked comfortable on the ice in Calgary, something Birchard says has made a noticeable difference.

Yeah … we’re loving the ice. Kerri’s doing a really great job putting the broom out in the right spot out there, and the sweepers are making lots of shots for everybody. So … yeah … the team’s feeling great. I think we got a really good handle on things (Saturday), and now it’s just using those games as reference points. So (Sunday), the ice was a little faster at times than (Saturday), so we’re just keeping that in our back pocket and just referencing the previous games as we move forward in the week.

“We’re All On the Same Page Out There”

The early results also carry extra value because of the level of competition. Sweden came into the tournament as one of the favourites, especially after Wranå won the Olympic mixed-doubles title last month. China is also a strong contender after earning bronze at last year’s world championship in South Korea.

Next up for Canada is Denmark, skipped by Madeleine Dupont, a longtime presence at the tournament and a two-time world medallist. The matchup is scheduled for Monday afternoon.

For Birchard, the key so far has been how composed the team has looked.

I think just the team as a whole is that we’re all on the same page out there. We’re just reading the ice really well, and we’re being super precise. I think in other worlds, the nerves came into play with the judging and the throws a little bit more, and you’re just a little more hopped up on your energy and you might miss a judge or overthrow things. We haven’t really seen that this week. We’ve been pretty cool and calm out there. And we just want to keep that energy going forward.