Olympic Curling Feud Escalates as Swedish Star Accuses Canadian Rival of Hypocrisy
The Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina may have concluded for Swedish curler Oskar Eriksson, but his bitter feud with Canadian rival Marc Kennedy shows no signs of abating. What began as an explosive on-ice confrontation during preliminary-round competition has evolved into a sustained war of words, with Eriksson launching fresh accusations against his opponent even as Kennedy prepares for Friday's gold medal match against Great Britain.
The Explosive On-Ice Confrontation
The controversy erupted during last week's preliminary-round match between Sweden and Canada when Eriksson, 34, repeatedly accused Kennedy of double-touching his deliveries. The alleged infraction involves touching the curling stone again after initially releasing it down the sheet of ice, a violation that can provide unfair advantage.
Kennedy, 44, reacted with fury to the accusations, launching into a profanity-laden exchange that saw him telling Eriksson to 'f*** off' in a heated confrontation captured by television cameras. The Canadian's outburst resulted in a verbal warning from World Curling for inappropriate language, though officials ultimately determined no rules had been broken by Kennedy during the match.
Eriksson Refuses to Let Controversy Die
Despite Sweden's failure to reach the semifinals and Kennedy's progression to the gold medal match, Eriksson has continued his public criticism of the Canadian curler. Speaking to Swedish outlet Värmlands Folkblad, Eriksson took particular issue with Kennedy's lack of apology for his on-ice outburst.
'You don't react like that if you know you're not guilty,' Eriksson stated. 'I don't think he slept as well that night as I did. If he now chooses to think he did the right thing, he will have to take responsibility for it.'
The Swedish curler went further, suggesting Kennedy's behavior demonstrated immaturity: 'He hasn't dared to look in my direction. He's probably ashamed. Mature for a 44-year-old father of two.'
Kennedy's Counter-Allegations and Swedish Response
Following the initial confrontation, Kennedy claimed the Swedish team had concocted a deliberate plan to catch opponents in double-touching violations. The Canadian curler, competing at his fourth Winter Olympics, alleged Sweden had installed cameras specifically to monitor teams at the hog line.
'They have come up with a plan here at the Olympics, as far as I know, to catch teams in the act at the hog line,' Kennedy claimed. 'This was planned... it was kind of evident that something was going on, and they were trying to catch us in an act.'
Kennedy and Canadian coach Paul Webster maintained Sweden had targeted multiple teams with this surveillance strategy. However, Eriksson has fired back with accusations of hypocrisy, pointing to what he describes as Kennedy's contradictory stance on the matter.
'He got furious at that person (who accused him) and shouted that he had lost respect for him and thought he had been hung out to dry,' Eriksson told Swedish media. 'He said the same thing then as now, that he had filmed a lot of opponents - but still thought that it was unsportsmanlike if someone filmed him. The double standard in that doesn't work.'
Broader Double-Touching Controversy at Olympics
The double-touching controversy has not been confined to the men's competition or the Sweden-Canada match. The issue has crossed over into women's curling, with Canada's Rachel Homan having her stone removed when an official ruled she had touched it again after releasing the handle.
This incident occurred after World Curling directed two umpires to move between the four matches during each round to monitor play more closely. Meanwhile, Team GB faced similar scrutiny during their round-robin match against Germany on Sunday.
British curler Bobby Lammie was accused of touching a stone after releasing it down the ice, prompting umpire intervention. The stone was removed from play, with the umpire instructing British skip Bruce Mouat to return a German stone to its previous position.
Television Evidence and Official Rulings
Television replays from the Sweden-Canada match showed why Eriksson might have suspected Kennedy of double-touching, with footage suggesting potential contact after release. During their heated exchange, Eriksson challenged Kennedy to review video evidence.
'I'll show you a video after the game,' Eriksson responded to Kennedy's denial. 'I'll show you a video where it's two meters over the hog line.'
Kennedy fired back: 'Come on, Oskar. Just f*** off.' Despite the compelling television footage and Eriksson's persistent accusations, World Curling officials ultimately concluded that Kennedy had not violated any rules during the match.
As the Canadian team prepares for their gold medal showdown against Great Britain, the controversy continues to cast a shadow over what should be a celebration of Olympic curling excellence. The sustained feud between Eriksson and Kennedy highlights the intense competitive pressures and sportsmanship questions that can emerge at the highest levels of international competition.
