Canada defeated Sweden 8-6 in a tense round-robin curling match at the Winter Olympics, with Sweden alleging that Canada's players were double touching the stone during delivery.
The game was halted early after Sweden asked officials to monitor Canada's deliveries for touching the stone after release. Canada then requested similar scrutiny of Sweden's delivery, creating a frosty atmosphere between the teams.
After Sweden scored two in the penultimate end, the teams' thirds, Marc Kennedy and Oskar Eriksson, exchanged heated words. Eriksson said he would show a replay of Kennedy touching the stone repeatedly; Kennedy responded with a rude dismissal. Kennedy later said he told Eriksson where to stick it, objecting to accusations of cheating after 25 years of professional curling.
World Curling has introduced electronic handles on stones that flash red if contact continues beyond the hog line. Eriksson claimed Kennedy was touching the stone itself, not the handle with the sensor, so no red light flashed. He also said officials initially misinterpreted the rules, believing double touching any part of the rock was allowed.
Swedish skip Niklas Edin expressed sadness over the heated exchange, noting the teams are friends. World Curling said umpires monitored deliveries for three ends after the issue was raised, and no violations were observed.
