Canada's Curling Teams Hit by New Cheating Claims at Winter Olympics
Canada's curling teams are facing renewed accusations of cheating at the Winter Olympics, as controversy continues to swirl around their performances. The drama unfolded during a women's game against Switzerland, where allegations emerged of rule violations on the ice.
Women's Game Controversy and Official Ruling
In the women's event, Canadian curler Rachel Homan had her stone removed after an official ruled that she had touched it again after releasing the handle. Homan protested the decision vehemently, stating on the ice, "Absolutely not." According to World Curling's rules, there are no official replays, meaning the official's final call stands.
Homan's teammates expressed confusion and frustration over the ruling. Emma Miskew, the team's second, commented, "It looked like a really good throw to us from the side, so I'm confused at that." After the game, Homan remained angry, saying, "I don't understand the call. I'll never understand it. We've never done that. It has nothing to do with us."
Men's Team Drama and Verbal Scrap
The controversy extended to the men's team, who engaged in a verbal scrap with Sweden on Friday. The match was marred by a fierce dispute over claims of double-touching, which occurs when stones are touched on or after the hog line—the point by which a stone must be released. The Swedish team accused members of the Canadian side of this violation.
In response to the allegations and a foul-mouthed outburst by Canadian curler Marc Kennedy on TV, Curling Canada released a statement. It read, "During the game, officials were called to the field of play and closely monitored for any release rule infractions, including those involving touching the granite following a complaint by Team Sweden. After three ends of careful observation, no hogline violations or stone retouches were found by the officials."
Kennedy's Defense and Regret Over Language
The statement also addressed Kennedy's language, noting, "The Canadian men's team also received a verbal warning for language used during the game which we are aware of and supportive. We want to reaffirm that Curling Canada fully supports fair play, respect and sportsmanship, values that are fundamental to our sport."
Kennedy later expressed regret over his choice of words but stood by his actions. He said, "You can't take it (the swearing) back. You learn from it, move on and try to get the focus back on the curling. But I'll be honest, my whole life, when my integrity has been questioned, sometimes that's the response I have."
He added, "I can't think of once in my entire career where I've done something to gain a competitive advantage by cheating. I take that very seriously. And it's been a really long career. So when you get called out, my instinct was to be a little bit of a bulldog. I don't regret defending myself or my team-mates in that moment. I just probably regret the language I used."
Ongoing Fallout and Impact on Sport
These incidents have cast a shadow over Canada's curling teams at the Winter Olympics, raising questions about sportsmanship and fair play. The allegations and subsequent disputes highlight the intense pressure and scrutiny faced by athletes in high-stakes competitions. As the games continue, the focus remains on whether these controversies will affect team performances and the broader perception of curling as a sport built on integrity.
