The often-sedate world of curling has gotten heated at the Winter Olympics as cheating allegations and audible curse words overshadowed a feisty match between two of the best men’s teams.
Canada ’s Marc Kennedy got offended when he was accused by Swedish rival Oskar Eriksson of “double touching” — essentially, touching the rock again after initially releasing it down the sheet of ice — during Canada’s 8-6 win in round-robin play late Friday.
Kennedy repeatedly used expletives to deny he broke any rules. The match came to a brief standstill as fingers were pointed and Kennedy argued with members of the Swedish team across the ice.
“I don’t like being accused of cheating after 25 years on tour and four Olympic Games,” the 44-year-old Kennedy said.
“So,” he added, “I told him where to stick it. Because we’re the wrong team to do that to.”
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Eriksson said he simply wanted everyone to “play by the same rules.”
“We want a game that is as sportsmanlike, honest and clean as possible,” he said, “so we call it out as soon as I see that the Canadian No. 2 is, in my eyes, there poking the stone.”
On Saturday, World Curling said it spoke to Canadian team officials after the match and issued a verbal warning because of the language used by Kennedy. World Curling said “further inappropriate behavior ... would result in additional sanctions,” including possible suspension.
The rules state that a stone must be delivered using the handle that sits on top of the rock and that it must be released from the hand before it reaches the hog line. At the Olympics, that is the thick green line at each end.
Replays appeared to show Kennedy releasing the stone using the handle then touching it again — this time on the granite, not the handle — with an outstretched finger as it approached the hog line, which isn’t allowed in the rules.
In the early ends of the match, Sweden notified the officials of their complaints. An official then remained at the hog line for three ends to monitor Canada’s curlers and no violations were recorded, World Curling confirmed in its statement on Saturday.
Curling does not use video replays to review game decisions.
“Decisions made during a game are final,” World Curling said.
The governing body added that starting from Saturday’s afternoon session — which sees both Canada and Sweden in action — two officials will move observing deliveries across the four matches.
