Cheating allegations have stirred controversy in Olympic curling after Sweden accused Canada’s men’s team of breaking the rules during preliminary round play at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina.
The dispute escalated into a heated on-ice exchange and prompted World Curling to increase monitoring of stone deliveries moving forward. The controversy later extended to Canada’s women’s team, which was also cited for a similar infraction.
Sweden Accuses Team Brad Jacobs of Double-Touching Violation
During the game, officials were called to the field of play and closely monitored for any release rule infractions,
Sweden’s Team Niklas Edin accused Canada’s Team Brad Jacobs of double-touching a stone during their 8-6 preliminary round matchup at Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium on Friday, February 13.
The accusation centered on a potential violation of the hog line. Swedish third Oskar Eriksson told Canadian third Marc Kennedy, an Olympic gold medalist at the 2010 Vancouver Games, “Apparently, it’s OK touching the rock after the hog line.”
Kennedy denied the allegation. When asked about the accusation, he responded, “I haven’t done it once. You can (expletive) off.” Eriksson replied that he would show Kennedy “a video after the game,” to which Kennedy said, “I don’t give a (expletive).”
The exchange drew officials’ attention, and World Curling issued a verbal warning after an NSFW interaction between the players.
In a statement released Saturday, World Curling addressed the situation and outlined changes to monitoring procedures. “It is not possible for World Curling to have game umpires positioned to observe all hog lines for every stone delivery,” the organization said, via USA Today. “However, beginning with the Saturday (Feb. 14) afternoon session, two officials will move between all four sheets and observe deliveries.”
No formal penalty altered the result of Canada’s 8-6 win over Sweden.
Canadian Women’s Team Called for Same Double-Touch Infraction
The controversy extended to the Canadian women’s curling team during their matchup against Switzerland at the Milan Cortina Games. Officials called a double-touch violation in the first end, ruling that skip Rachel Homan touched her stone twice after releasing it.
The call resulted in a foul, and the Swiss team went on to win the match 8-7.
Homan disputed the ruling. “Like, absolutely not,” she said. “Zero-percent chance.”
Teammate Emma Miskew asked officials why the play could not be reviewed. An official explained that teams must rely on the umpire’s judgment, as World Curling does not use video review for in-game violations.
Homan later suggested that the scrutiny stemmed from the earlier controversy involving the men’s team.
“I don’t understand the call. I’ll never understand it. We’ve never done that,” she said. “It has nothing to do with us.”
The women’s team has now dropped three consecutive matches, including a loss to the United States, marking the first time Canada has fallen to the U.S. in Olympic women’s curling competition.
World Curling has not identified any formal sanctions against either Canadian team beyond the in-game rulings and monitoring adjustments. The governing body continues to oversee play as the round-robin stage progresses.
Canada Curling Cheating Controversy Explained: Double-Touch Dispute at 2026 Winter Olympics