In a tense round-robin clash, Canada narrowly defeated Sweden 8-6, but the match was overshadowed by allegations of cheating.
Sweden claimed that Canada’s Marc Kennedy touched his stone illegally, giving it a secondary push with his finger after releasing the handle.
In Olympic curling, stones must be released before crossing the “hog line,” marked by a thick green line. Sensors on the ice flash red if a stone is released late.
Video review appears to show Kennedy using his index finger to nudge the stone as it neared the line, prompting Sweden to report the incident to the referees.
Heated Exchanges On Ice
Following the complaint, an official was stationed at the green line to monitor future plays, although previous throws could not be penalized.
Tensions escalated as both sides argued across the ice, and Kennedy reportedly shouted expletives in his defense. The confrontation highlighted growing frustration between the teams during the high-stakes match.
Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson said “We want a game that is as sportsmanlike, honest and clean as possible, so we call it out as soon as I see that the Canadian No. 2 is, in my eyes, there poking the stone.“
“I don’t like being accused of cheating after 25 years on tour and four Olympic Games,” Kennedy responded.
“He’s still accusing us of cheating, and I didn’t like it. So I told him where to stick it, because we’re the wrong team to do that to. So I don’t care. He might have been upset that he was losing.” the Canadian added.
Official Response & Sweden’s Struggle
World Curling officials met with Canadian representatives after the match, issuing a verbal warning about Kennedy’s language.
They noted that further inappropriate conduct could lead to sanctions.
Meanwhile, Sweden’s defeat dropped them to 0-3 in round-robin play, leaving them with a steep challenge to reach the knockout stage and potentially earn a rematch.
