Fury erupted on the ice at the Winter Olympics as a bitter row between Canada and Sweden overshadowed a dramatic curling clash in Cortina, with accusations of cheating and a volley of X-rated insults stunning viewers.
Canada, skipped by Brad Jacobs, eventually secured an 8–6 round-robin victory at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium.
But the match will be remembered as much for the explosive confrontation as for the scoreboard.
The flashpoint centred on claims from Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson, who repeatedly accused Canadian Marc Kennedy of illegally double-touching his stones during delivery.
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In curling, a player must release the stone before it reaches the hog line. A second touch prior to that line is permitted.
Any contact beyond it, however, constitutes a violation.
Tempers boiled over early. Kennedy furiously denied the allegations, shouting across the sheet that he had not offended once, before telling his rival in no uncertain terms to get lost.
Fury erupted on the ice at the Winter Olympics as a bitter row between Canada and Sweden overshadowed a dramatic curling clash in Cortina, with accusations of cheating and a volley of X-rated insults stunning viewers
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The extraordinary exchange, broadcast live on Swedish network SVT, left fans stunned at scenes rarely witnessed in the genteel world of Olympic curling.
Eriksson refused to retreat.
He insisted he had video evidence and promised to show it after the game, claiming one incident occurred “two metres over the hog line.”
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Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson was left furious in the curling at the Winter Olympics
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Sweden continued to press officials throughout the contest, with defending Olympic champion Niklas Edin muttering in disbelief as appeals were made.
The match was temporarily halted after the second end while both teams pleaded their cases to umpires.
Eriksson demanded clarity from officials, asking whether such contact was allowed. Canada’s Ben Hebert countered by urging referees to scrutinise Sweden’s own deliveries just as closely.
The tension intensified in the sixth end when Eriksson again alleged Kennedy had committed a hog line violation.
Footage circulating online appeared to show Kennedy’s finger extending towards the stone as it approached the line.
Yet the on-ice judge ruled there was insufficient evidence to issue a penalty.
Canada won their controversial match against Sweden at the Winter Olympics
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World Curling later confirmed it had reviewed the incident and found no missed infractions.
The governing body reiterated its regulations: a stone must be clearly released before the hog line. If not, it is removed immediately. Should a violating stone strike another, it is withdrawn and displaced stones are restored by the non-offending team.
Complicating matters further, electronic handles introduced at these Games are designed to flash red if contact continues beyond the line. No such signal resulted in a sanction during Friday’s clash.
Despite the controversy, Canada closed out the win to claim their third round-robin success, while Sweden slumped to 0–3.
Speaking afterwards to CBC, Kennedy referenced the hog line devices and expressed disbelief that accusations of cheating persisted, admitting he had told his opponent exactly where to go.
The storm in Cortina is not the first judging controversy of these Winter Games. In ice dance, French judge Jezabel Dabouis faced fierce backlash after claims she inflated scores to benefit compatriots. The uproar intensified when France’s Guillaume Cizeron and partner captured gold amid allegations of bias.