Winter Olympics Curling Match Explodes in Cheating Controversy
The Winter Olympic curling competition in Cortina was overshadowed by a heated cheating scandal on Friday, as tensions flared between Canada and Sweden in a round-robin clash. The Canadian team, led by skip Brad Jacobs, ultimately triumphed with an 8-6 win, but not before surviving a bitter dispute that marred the event.
Accusations and Confrontations Dominate Play
Swedish curler Oskar Eriksson repeatedly alleged that Canadian opponent Marc Kennedy was double-touching stones during delivery, a potential violation in curling. Under the sport's rules, a double touch before the hog line—where the stone must be released—is permissible, but contact beyond that point incurs an infraction.
Kennedy vehemently denied the accusations, leading to a fiery exchange captured on broadcast. 'I haven't done it once,' Kennedy shouted across the sheet. 'You can f*** off.' Eriksson refused to back down, insisting he had video evidence of the breach, to which Kennedy retorted, 'Come on, Oskar. Just f*** off.'
Match Paused Amid Appeals to Officials
The controversy forced a pause after the second end, with both teams appealing to judges. Eriksson pressed the official, asking, 'You saw it. You saw the touching, right? So is he allowed to do it or not?' Swedish teammate Niklas Edin added, 'There's no way you can do that.' Meanwhile, Canadian Ben Hebert countered by urging officials to monitor Eriksson for similar violations.
Footage from the match showed Kennedy releasing a stone toward the hog line, with his finger appearing to make contact as it hit the line's edge. Despite the viral clip and Sweden's protests, judges ruled they could not definitively confirm a violation, and no infractions were issued.
Governing Body Reviews and Rules Clarified
World Curling released a statement confirming a review of the match found no missed violations. The organization's rules stipulate that a stone must be clearly released before reaching the hog line; failure to do so results in its removal from play. Additional contact by the releasing team after the stone touches the hog line incurs an infraction, allowing the opposing team to adjust stone placements.
Notably, these Games introduced electronic handles on stones that flash red if contact persists beyond the hog line, adding a technological safeguard. However, this did not prevent the dispute from escalating.
Canada Prevails Amid Lingering Tensions
Despite the acrimony, Canada secured their third round-robin victory, while defending champion Sweden fell to 0-3. Post-match, Kennedy, a gold and bronze Olympic medalist, told CBC, 'There's hog line devices on there. I don't know. And he's still accusing us of cheating. I didn't like it. So I told him where to stick it.'
Broader Context of Olympic Cheating Scandals
This incident follows other controversies at the Games, including allegations against French judge Jezabel Dabouis for allegedly rigging votes in ice dance to favor her country's gold medal win. Over 14,000 fans have signed a petition calling for an investigation, though the International Skating Union has defended the judging process, stating confidence in its fairness.
The curling row highlights the intense pressures and rivalries at the Winter Olympics, where sportsmanship can sometimes give way to heated confrontations over perceived infractions.
