The Curling Controversy at the Winter Olympics Isn’t What You Think

Canada beats Sweden amid cheating allegations

Canada defeated Sweden 8-6 last Friday in a Winter Olympics curling match that devolved into a rare verbal altercation between the two teams. Swedish vice-skip Oskar Eriksson accused Canadian vice-skip Marc Kennedy of cheating during the ninth end of the game. Kennedy responded by telling Eriksson to "fuck off" and stating that he "didn't give a shit" about the accusation. The confrontation quickly moved from the ice to social media and major news outlets. Thousands of viewers began debating the technicalities of a 500-year-old Scottish sport that usually prides itself on silence and decorum. Most of these debates centered on whether Kennedy touched a moving stone, which would constitute a foul. Kennedy later admitted to reporters that he could have handled the situation with more composure. He maintained that he was simply defending his teammates and himself against Swedish "chirping." He did not offer a formal apology for the language used on the broadcast.

Video shows a double-touch violation

The dispute involves the hog line, which is a stripe on the ice located 93 feet from the center of the target house. Rules dictate that a player must release the stone before it reaches this line. If a player touches the stone after the "nose" or front of the rock crosses the line, the shot is invalid. Video analysis of the ninth end suggests Kennedy committed a technical violation. His hand appears to touch the back of the 44-pound granite stone after it passed the hog line. This is commonly referred to as a "double-touch" or a "burning" of the rock. While the violation occurred, it likely had no measurable impact on the stone’s trajectory or speed. The touch involved a fraction of an inch and occurred nearly 100 feet away from the intended target. Recent video compilations show that many professional teams, including the Swedish national team, frequently engage in similar light double-taps during high-stakes matches.

The Spirit of Curling rulebook

Curling operates under a formal set of regulations known as the Spirit of Curling. This code of conduct is the first rule listed in most official handbooks. It dictates that players must never attempt to distract opponents or prevent them from playing their best. A true curler prefers to lose a match rather than win unfairly. The sport relies on a sense of personal honor similar to professional golf. Players are expected to call their own fouls rather than waiting for an official to intervene. The match between Canada and Sweden broke these traditions in several ways:

• Players used profanity that was picked up by broadcast microphones.
• Teams appealed to judges for minor "ticky-tacky" equipment violations.
• Vice-skips engaged in direct verbal confrontations during active play.
• One team openly accused the other of intentional cheating.

Vice-skips fail to self-police

The altercation is particularly notable because it involved the third throwers, also known as the vice-skips. These players serve as the administrators of the game. They are responsible for confirming the score after each end and resolving any disputes regarding the rules. When a stone is "burned" or touched illegally, the vice-skips usually reach a quiet agreement on how to proceed. They may choose to remove the stone from play or leave it where it stands if the touch did not change the outcome. In this match, the two players charged with keeping the game fair became the primary sources of the conflict. The tension began earlier in the game during the sixth end. The Canadian team complained to judges that the Swedes were touching Canadian equipment while Canada prepared to throw. The Swedes countered by complaining about Kennedy’s double-touch, but officials rebuffed their concerns.

A contrast in Olympic sportsmanship

A match between the United States and Italy earlier in the Games provided a different example of how these rules function. During a doubles match, an Italian player accidentally kicked a stone while it was in motion. This is a clear violation that could have resulted in the stone being removed from the house. The American team did not call for a judge or accuse the Italians of cheating. They trusted the Italian players to reset the stone to its original position based on their best judgment. The game continued without an argument or a disruption to the pace of play. The Canada-Sweden match abandoned this level of cooperation. By the time the ninth end arrived, both teams were looking for ways to penalize their opponents through technicalities. This shift from self-policing to aggressive officiating by the players themselves is what led to the verbal blowout.

Technical specs of Olympic curling

Modern Olympic curling uses advanced technology to monitor play, though it did not prevent this specific argument. The stones and the ice surface are maintained to strict tolerances to ensure consistent performance at the elite level.

• Stone Weight: Each stone weighs between 38 and 44 pounds.
• Ice Temperature: The surface is typically kept at 24 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Handle Sensors: Many stones use heat-sensitive "Eye on the Hog" sensors to detect if a hand is still on the handle at the hog line.
• The Sheet: The ice sheet is 150 feet long and 16.5 feet wide.

Despite these sensors, the "double-touch" Kennedy was accused of involves the back of the stone, not the handle. Current sensor technology does not track touches on the granite body of the rock. This leaves the enforcement of such rules entirely up to the players and video replay.

Social media reacts to the spat

The incident turned casual viewers into temporary curling experts over the weekend. Memes of Kennedy telling Eriksson to "fuck off" circulated on Twitter and Reddit. Many viewers found the intensity of the argument humorous given the typically polite reputation of the sport. Long-time fans of the sport expressed concern that this match would define curling for the 2024 Olympic cycle. Curling usually provides a calm alternative to the high-adrenaline events of the Winter Games. The "beer league" culture of the sport typically emphasizes congeniality and post-game drinks over on-ice tantrums. The World Curling Federation has not announced any formal disciplinary action against either player. Kennedy remains one of the most decorated curlers in Canadian history, but this specific exchange will likely follow him through his remaining appearances in international competition. The match ended with a Canadian victory, but the breach of etiquette remains the primary talking point of the tournament.