News Champions Cup

OLDS, Alta. — Tabitha Peterson and her American team picked up their first victory in the KIOTI Tractor Champions Cup with authority Thursday morning.

Peterson scored seven points during the sixth end to thump Madeleine Dupont’s team 12-2 during Draw 8 action at the Olds Sportsplex.

Both teams that represented their respective nations this year in the Winter Olympic Games now hold 1-2 records in pool play with two preliminary games remaining each in the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season finale event.

Elsewhere, Ottawa’s Team Rachel Homan (2-1) got back on track with a 7-5 win over Team Un-Chi Gim (1-2) of South Korea.

In men’s play, Winnipeg’s Team Jason Gunnlaugson got five points in the third end during a 9-6 victory over Team Korey Dropkin of the United States and Toronto’s Team John Epping scored three in the seventh during a 6-3 win over Edmonton’s Team Karsten Sturmay.

Gunnlaugson improved to a 2-1 record while Dropkin, Epping and Sturmay all hold 1-2 records.

UP NEXT

The KIOTI Tractor Champions Cup continues with Draw 9 Thursday at 2 p.m. ET / noon local time with broadcast coverage on Sportsnet, Sportsnet NOW (Canada) and Yare (international).

Tickets are available at the Olds Sportsplex box office and online at champions.goigniter.com.

FORMAT

Both divisions are split into two groups of six for pool play. The best six teams overall qualify for the playoffs with the top two receiving byes to the semifinals.

Pool play runs through to Friday with the quarterfinals and semifinals scheduled for Saturday and both finals set for Sunday.

NOTES

The KIOTI Tractor Champions Cup is the fourth and final Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling event of the 2021-22 season featuring 12 men’s teams and 12 women’s teams who have won top tour titles in order to qualify. … A combined $210,000 prize purse is up for grabs with the winning teams earning $25,000 plus berths to next year’s KIOTI Tractor Champions Cup.