Canada's Curling Team Escapes Penalty but Faces Warning in Olympic Controversy
Canada's men's curling team has avoided formal punishment at the Winter Olympics despite allegations of rule-breaking during a tense and bad-tempered victory over Sweden. However, World Curling, the sport's governing body, has issued a stern warning to the Canadian squad regarding their use of abusive language during the 8-6 win on Friday. In response to the incident, officials have implemented emergency spot checks to monitor compliance with curling regulations.
Heated Exchange and Cheating Allegations Fly on the Ice
The match was temporarily halted after Sweden's team accused their Canadian rivals of improperly touching the stone following its release—a clear violation of Olympic curling rules. Swedish curler Oskar Eriksson specifically called out Canada's Marc Kennedy for double-touching the stone, which led to Kennedy responding with a loud expletive, later described as an "F-bomb."
In post-match comments, Kennedy defended his reaction, stating, "It's sport. It's the Olympics. Both teams are trying to win. Oskar was accusing us of cheating. I didn't like it. I've been curling professionally for 25 years." Nolan Thiessen, the chief of Curling Canada, acknowledged that Kennedy's choice of words was poor but attributed it to the heat of competition. "Something was said in his ear which got him going," Thiessen explained. "Head games get played in a lot of sports and things get said in competitive sport."
Technological Glitches and Rule Misinterpretations
This Winter Olympics features electronic handles on curling stones, designed to flash red if players maintain contact beyond the hog line—the point where curlers must release the stone. However, Sweden argued that Kennedy was touching the stone itself rather than the sensor-equipped handle, meaning the red lights did not activate. Video replays appeared to support Eriksson's claim, but officials did not intervene during the game.
Eriksson expressed frustration, saying, "We told the officials. They came out and they misread the rules, sadly. Because they thought double-touching any part of the rock is OK. And then they found out that was wrong. You can only touch the electronic part of the handle."
World Curling's Response and New Monitoring Measures
On Saturday, World Curling released a statement confirming that the game's result would stand, noting, "World Curling does not currently use video replay to re-umpire game decisions. Decisions made during a game are final." However, the organization announced it would introduce spot checks to ensure future adherence to rules. "It is not possible for World Curling to have game umpires positioned to observe all hog lines for every stone delivery," the statement read. "Beginning with the Saturday afternoon session, two officials will move between all four sheets and observe deliveries."
Additionally, World Curling sent an email to all teams at the Winter Olympics, reiterating that touching the granite part of the stone during delivery is illegal and results in the stone being removed from play. The Canadians were explicitly warned that any recurrence of abusive language would lead to sanctions, emphasizing the importance of sportsmanship in Olympic competition.
