Canadian curlers at the Winter Olympics face direct accusations of cheating after Swedish media deployed a photographer to document potential rule violations during their match against Czechia.
Photographic Evidence Emerges
Images captured by photographer Pontus Orre appear to show Canada captain Brad Jacobs touching the stone during forward motion, a prohibited action known as double-touching. This incident occurred as Canada secured an 8-2 victory over Czechia on Monday.
The controversy builds on prior tensions, including Swedish curler Oskar Eriksson’s accusations against Canadian Marc Kennedy on Friday. Kennedy vehemently denied the claims, shouting, ‘I haven’t done it once. You can f*** off.’
Marc Kennedy Responds to Allegations
Post-match, Kennedy addressed the ongoing scrutiny, stating, ‘I can guarantee that there is not a single double touch out there that is done intentionally to cheat. That’s all I can say.’
He continued, ‘I have 50 videos of people who … I’ll go … But it’s okay, we’ve talked about this so much already. It’s a shame it came up during the Olympics. We’ve all had to deal with it now.’
Kennedy emphasized the availability of referees, noting, ‘All the teams have the right to call a referee now, so if the Czech Republic were not happy with something, they were more than welcome to call a referee and we could do the same. That’s how it should work.’
Expressing frustration, he added, ‘This game of trying to catch people red-handed, and all to win a medal, sucks. Unfortunately. But it is what it is, the sport is developing and those in charge really need to take a good look at this.’
On the sport’s reputation, Kennedy remarked, ‘It’s hard for me to use the word gentleman after this week. But we love the idea of self-government without the need for judges. That’s where I think curling is in a bad place right now and I think that comes from a thirst for medals.’
He acknowledged potential damage, saying, ‘Yes, maybe. I haven’t thought about it that much, but there are probably some relationships that have been damaged by all this. There are so many games in a year where you can’t have referees at the level we have here. So if we don’t have any of the soul of curling left, we’re in trouble. I don’t have the answers, but it will be interesting to see.’
Curling Double-Touch Rules Explained
Under World Curling rules, players may retouch the stone handle before the hog line but must release it clearly before reaching that line. Touching the handle after the hog line or the stone’s granite during forward motion results in immediate removal from play.
- Rule R.5(e): Stone must be released before hog line; otherwise, delivering team removes it.
- Rule R.5(d): Stone delivered using handle only; violations lead to removal.
Incidents Across Events
The issue extends beyond men’s curling. In women’s competition, Canadian skip Rachel Homan had a stone removed after officials ruled a double-touch.
Team GB faced a similar penalty in their match against Germany when curler Bobby Lammie grazed a stone post-release. The umpire removed it and restored a German stone, despite Britain’s lead.
Commentators noted the umpire’s intervention, with one observing, ‘The judge has burned a stone, it has been put back.’ Another added, ‘Not again.’
Swiss curler Pablo Lachat-Couchepin also alleged witnessing double-touching by Canada.
World Curling Updates Protocols
Following consultations with national Olympic committees, World Curling adjusted monitoring. Umpires now observe deliveries only upon team request, covering at least three ends per session, starting Sunday evening.
