Cheating Allegations Overshadow Winter Olympics Curling Clash
A fierce controversy erupted during the Winter Olympics on Friday night, casting a shadow over a dramatic curling match between Canada and Sweden. The intense round-robin game, which Canada ultimately won 8–6 at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, was marred by accusations of rule violations and heated on-ice exchanges.
Allegations of Double-Touching Spark Fury
The Swedish team became convinced that one of the Canadian players was repeatedly double-touching stones during delivery. This alleged violation involves releasing the stone at the appropriate time but then giving it an additional small prod with a finger to adjust its course. The Swedes maintained this gave Canada an unfair advantage throughout the match.
Tempers flared when Canadian curler Marc Kennedy, incensed by the cheating allegations, responded with a barrage of expletives directed at his opponents. He was heard yelling, "I haven't done it once. You can f*** off." Unfazed, Swedish player Oskar Eriksson retorted, "I'll show you a video after the game. I'll show you a video where it's two meters over the hog line."
World Curling Issues Formal Warning
In response to the escalating situation, World Curling intervened by releasing an official statement. The governing body confirmed they had spoken with Canadian officials to issue a verbal warning regarding the language used by a Canadian men's player during the game.
The statement clarified, "During that meeting it was made clear to those officials that further inappropriate behaviour, determined by rule R.19, would result in additional sanctions." Rule R.19 explicitly prohibits improper conduct, foul language, equipment abuse, or wilful damage by any team member, with violations potentially leading to suspension.
On-Ice Confrontations and Official Scrutiny
Eriksson persisted with his complaints throughout the match, even approaching the official to ask, "You saw it. You saw the touching, right? So is he allowed to do it or not? That's the question." His teammate Niklas Edin supported these objections, declaring to the official, "There's no way you can do that."
This prompted Canadian star Ben Herbert to launch a counter-protest, urging the judge to monitor Eriksson for alleged double-touching. During the sixth end, slow-motion footage appeared to show Kennedy releasing a stone before touching it again as it crossed the hog line, which would constitute a violation if confirmed.
However, officials ultimately ruled they could not determine with certainty whether a double-touch had occurred. World Curling clarified the regulations, stating that stones must be clearly released before reaching the hog line, with violations requiring immediate removal from play.
Post-Match Fallout and BBC Apology
Following the game, a furious Kennedy defended his team's conduct, saying, "He's still accusing us of cheating, and I didn't like it. So I told him where to stick it, because we're the wrong team to do that to. So I don't care. He might have been upset that he was losing."
The BBC was forced to apologise after the foul language from the heated exchange was picked up during their live coverage. Commentator Steve Cram told viewers, "Oh dear, again, really sorry if you heard a frustrating an expletive lets just put it that way." The incident has sparked widespread discussion about sportsmanship and rule enforcement in Olympic curling.
