CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy – The ice at the 2026 Winter Olympics is proving to be as volatile as the competition itself, as a men’s curling match between Canada and Sweden descended into a heated exchange of accusations and profanity on . The contest, ultimately an 8-6 victory for Canada’s Team Brad Jacobs, was overshadowed by claims of cheating and improper conduct, escalating beyond the confines of the game itself.
The initial spark came from Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson, who alleged that Canadian curler Marc Kennedy was “double-touching” stones – illegally making contact with the stone after releasing it, in an attempt to influence its trajectory. Kennedy vehemently denied the accusations, responding with a profanity-laced outburst directed at Eriksson. “You can f— off,” Kennedy reportedly said, a sentiment he later partially walked back, expressing regret only for the language used.
“I don’t like being accused of cheating after 25 years on tour and four Olympic Games,” Kennedy stated after the match, as reported by CBC. “So I told him where to stick it. Because we’re the wrong team to do that to.”
While World Curling officials initially issued a verbal warning to Canadian officials regarding Kennedy’s language, stating that further “inappropriate behavior” could result in more serious sanctions, including suspension, they also clarified that a review of the incident found “no hog line violations or retouches of the stone during the observation.” This ruling, however, did little to quell the rising tensions.
The controversy didn’t end with the on-ice exchange. Canada’s team has since accused Sweden of a premeditated plan to catch them violating the rules, specifically alleging improper filming of Kennedy’s delivery near the hog line. According to Marc Kennedy, the Swedish team appeared to be actively attempting to capture evidence of a violation. “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 told reporters, per the National Post. “This was planned, right from the word go yesterday. From the words that were being said by their coaches and the way they were running to the officials, it was kind of evident that something was going on, and they were trying to catch us in an act.”
Curling Canada CEO Nolan Thiessen added fuel to the fire, expressing surprise at the presence of video recording near the hog line that didn’t appear to adhere to Olympic broadcasting standards. “I was surprised that there was a live video on the hog line outside of OBS rules,” Thiessen said. “That seems odd to me.”
The accusations of improper filming raise questions about the extent to which Sweden was attempting to scrutinize Canada’s technique. The National Post reported that Kennedy believes this was not an isolated incident, suggesting that Sweden may have been employing similar tactics against other teams as well.
This incident occurs against a backdrop of heightened scrutiny within the Olympic curling community. Just days prior, a separate controversy erupted involving Canada’s women’s team, led by Rachel Homan, who voiced strong objections to an officiating call during a loss. While unrelated to the current situation, it underscores a growing sense of frustration among Canadian curlers regarding officiating and perceived unfair play.
The double-touching rule itself, as clarified by World Curling, stipulates that curlers must release the stone using the handle before it crosses the hog line. Any subsequent contact with the stone, beyond using the handle during release, is considered a violation. The incident involving Kennedy centered on whether he made contact with the stone using his finger after releasing it, a claim that World Curling’s review did not substantiate.
The ramifications of this escalating feud remain to be seen. Beyond the verbal warnings issued by World Curling, it’s unclear whether further disciplinary action will be taken against either team. However, the incident has undoubtedly injected a significant amount of animosity into the competition, potentially impacting future matchups between Canada, and Sweden. The focus now shifts to whether this controversy will serve as a distraction for either team as they continue their pursuit of Olympic gold, or if it will further motivate them to prove their dominance on the ice.
As the round-robin stage progresses, the intensity of the competition is clearly extending beyond the strategic nuances of the game, highlighting the high stakes and emotional investment inherent in Olympic curling.
