Fresh allegations rocked the Winter Olympics curling sheet as Team Canada’s men found themselves staring down a second claim of “double-touching” in as many days at the Milan Cortina Games.
The latest accusation came from Team Switzerland during Saturday’s round-robin matchup, piling onto a similar protest lodged by Team Sweden the day before. That earlier dispute spiraled into a heated, expletive-laced exchange caught by broadcast microphones.
Swedish curler Oskar Eriksson alleged that Canadian third Marc Kennedy committed a double-touch, a rules violation involving contact with the handle after releasing the stone beyond the hog line.
“I haven’t done it once, you can f–k off. I don’t give a s–t,” Kennedy fired back, as overheard by NBC cameras.
Despite the fireworks, Canada skated away with an 8-6 win. Officials did not assess a competitive penalty and instead issued only a verbal warning to Kennedy for using profanity.
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On Saturday, Swiss curler Pablo Lachat-Couchepin was also picked up by cameras raising concerns during Switzerland’s 9-5 victory over Canada.
“I don’t want to focus too much on it, but he double-touched, and the referee saw it,” Lachat-Couchepin was quoted as saying to his coach by the Toronto Star.
The back-to-back allegations fueled fresh scrutiny over conduct and enforcement in Olympic curling, where precision and sportsmanship are paramount. Double-touching infractions can result in the immediate removal of a stone, a potentially decisive punishment in tight matches.
Kennedy, a four-time Olympian, struck a more reflective tone after Saturday’s loss.
“My whole life I’ve been a little bit like that if my integrity gets questioned. We’re human out there. Lots of emotions,” Kennedy told CBC. “No question I could’ve handled it better, though.”
The controversy was not limited to the men’s draw.
Canada’s women’s team was penalized for double-touching during its own Saturday clash with Switzerland. The umpire accused Canadian skip Rachel Homan of the infraction and ordered the stone removed, dealing a blow in a match defined by razor-thin margins.
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Heightened monitoring across events also snared other teams. Increased surveillance led to the removal of a stone thrown by the British men’s team over the same alleged violation.
In the ninth end of Britain’s round-robin game against Germany, officials ruled that Scottish curler Bobby Lammie had touched a stone after release, triggering enforcement under the double-touch rule.
With tensions simmering and cameras capturing every slide and sweep, Olympic curling’s sportsmanship debate is suddenly center ice.
