Team GB men’s curling team face the controversial Canadians in the final of the 2026 Winter Olympics (Image: Getty)
When is men’s curling Winter Olympics final as Team GB face ‘cheat storm’ Canadians again?
- The Team GB men’s curling final against Canada is scheduled for Saturday, 21 February 2026, at 18:05 GMT. Bruce Mouat’s rink will compete for the gold medal at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium following their hard-fought progress through the knockout stages.
- Live television coverage in the United Kingdom will be broadcast on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer starting from 17:15 GMT, with Clare Balding hosting the programme. Alternatively, viewers can watch every stone of the final on TNT Sports 2 or via the discovery+ streaming service, which offers comprehensive coverage of the Games.
- Team GB reached the final after a mixed round-robin campaign where they finished with a 5–4 win-loss record. They secured vital victories against China, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Germany, and the USA but suffered narrow defeats to Italy, Switzerland, Norway, and Canada.
- In a tense semi-final, Great Britain overcame the previously unbeaten Swiss side with an impressive 8–5 victory. Despite trailing 3–4 at the halfway mark, the British team turned the match around with a crucial point steal in the sixth end and a dominant finish.
- The turning point was a « runback triple takeout » by skip Bruce Mouat in the seventh end, a shot he later described as one of the best of his career. Reflecting on the win, Mouat said he was « very, very proud » of the team’s resilience, while Hammy McMillan Jr remarked that the shot « saved our bacon. »
- This performance ensures Team GB will at least match their result from the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, where they secured a silver medal. In that tournament, they were narrowly defeated 5–4 by Niklas Edin’s Swedish rink in a dramatic sudden-death extra end.
- The Canadian men’s team, skipped by Brad Jacobs, has enjoyed a strong tournament, finishing the round robin in second place before beating Norway 5–4 in their semi-final. They have looked formidable throughout the Games, including a convincing 9–5 victory over Great Britain earlier in the week.
- However, the Canadians have been at the centre of a « cheat storm » after being accused of « double-touching » the stones, an illegal move where a player allegedly pokes the rock after its initial release. These accusations surfaced during matches against Sweden and Switzerland, leading to the installation of extra officials on the ice.
- The controversy sparked a heated exchange between Canada’s Marc Kennedy and Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson, with Kennedy being caught on a hot mic telling his opponent to « f*** off » after being confronted about the alleged infraction. Eriksson had challenged Kennedy on the ice, stating he would show him video evidence of the foul immediately after the match concluded.
- Kennedy vehemently denied the allegations, claiming his reaction was a defence of his integrity against a « premeditated plan » by the Swedes to disrupt their focus. He admitted he « could have handled it better » but refused to apologise, stating that his back gets up whenever his honesty as a sportsman is questioned.
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