Everything we know about the Winter Olympics cheating row as Team GB dragged in | Other | Sport

The row ignited when Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson accused Canada’s Marc Kennedy of a double touch during a match. This rule violation involves a player touching the stone’s handle or granite after it crosses the hog line, potentially altering its trajectory.

Following the accusation, Kennedy launched into an expletive-laden outburst on live television. This led to a formal verbal warning from World Curling for inappropriate language, while the BBC was forced to apologise to viewers for swearing on the broadcast.

Despite Kennedy’s fierce denials, Swedish broadcaster SVT released footage that appeared to confirm a clear infraction. The clip, which went viral on social media, shows the Canadian star’s fingers lingering on the stone after the legal release point.

Kennedy later claimed the controversy was a premeditated plan by the Swedes to « catch » them. A hot mic reportedly captured Swedish players mentioning a team-mate was recording, leading to claims that Sweden used specific camera angles to trap Canada.

The scandal widened when Canada’s Rachel Homan was penalised for the same rule break against Switzerland. Her stone was removed from play, causing her to claim that Canadian curlers were being unfairly targeted due to the men’s earlier incident.

Increased officiating led to Team GB’s Bobby Lammie being flagged for a similar violation against Germany. Unlike the Canadians, the Brits accepted the punishment without complaint and went on to win their match comfortably.

World Curling initially ramped up hog-line monitoring but soon performed a sudden U-turn. Following athlete protests regarding over-scrutiny, umpires now only monitor deliveries for three ends if a competing team specifically requests it.

World Curling clarified that while players can retouch the handle before the hog line, any contact after that point is illegal. Additionally, touching the granite of the stone at any point during its forward motion is strictly prohibited.

As a global curling powerhouse, Canada’s integrity has come under intense fire. While World Curling stated no violations were officially recorded on Friday, the visual evidence and subsequent penalties have left the nation’s sporting reputation severely bruised.

The controversy set a fiery backdrop for the crunch match between Team GB and Canada. With both teams then fighting for semi-final spots, the « cheating » narrative added massive pressure to an already intense Olympic rivalry.