Canadian Curler Denies Cheating Allegations Amid Olympic Controversy
The Canadian curler at the heart of a growing controversy at the Winter Olympics has firmly denied any wrongdoing, asserting that he is not a cheat. Marc Kennedy has gone further, suggesting that his team might be the target of a "premeditated" attack by Sweden, one of their primary rivals for the gold medal.
Kennedy's Outburst and Defense
Kennedy admitted that he "probably could have handled it better" after launching an expletive-laden outburst toward Swedish curler Oskar Eriksson. The incident occurred after Eriksson accused Kennedy of breaking rules by "double-touching" the rock during Canada's 8-6 victory in round-robin play late on Friday. This violation involves touching the stone again after initially releasing it down the sheet of ice.
However, the 44-year-old Kennedy stated unequivocally that he did not commit the infraction and has never deliberately taken to the ice "with the intention of getting an advantage through cheating."
Footage and Reactions
Footage circulating online appears to show Kennedy breaching curling rules by touching the granite stone with his outstretched finger after release. When questioned about this footage, Kennedy responded, "Yes, I'm not even going there. I've never even known that to be a concern before. It's never ever come up in conversation." He added that in the heat of the moment, he couldn't confirm whether he double-touches or not.
Kennedy proposed his own theory, suggesting the entire situation might be "premeditated planning to try to catch us." He claimed, "They've come up with a plan to catch teams in the act," implying a strategic move by the Swedish team.
Controversy Spreads to Women's Team
The saga has disrupted the typically calm world of curling, involving teams that regularly compete against each other outside the Olympics and include some of the sport's top players. In a further twist late on Saturday night, the Canadian women's team faced similar accusations. Match officials alleged veteran skip Rachel Homan committed a double-touch violation in the first end against Switzerland.
The Canadian curlers reacted with disbelief and anger. Homan stated, "Absolutely not. Zero per cent chance," before the match continued. After the game, she expressed frustration, feeling unfairly scrutinized due to the men's controversy. "I don't understand the call. I'll never understand it. We've never done that," she said, emphasizing that the issue had nothing to do with her team.
Official Responses and Monitoring
Kennedy received a verbal warning from World Curling, the sport's governing body, a day after the heated exchange with the Swedish team, which involved pointing fingers and repeated swearing. He has not been formally charged with cheating, as World Curling does not use video to review gameplay.
In response, the organization deployed two officials to monitor how players released their stones during Saturday's afternoon session in the men's competition. During that session, Canada lost 9-5 to Switzerland, while Sweden defeated China 6-4.
Swedish Perspective and Further Allegations
Afterward, Eriksson commented, "I slept good, I'm not sure about him," referring to Kennedy. He explained that he called out the alleged rule-breaking because he had observed it in past events and had informed officials on two previous occasions. "We want to play a fair-and-square game, like you follow the rules," Eriksson said. "And if we see something that's not following the rules, we tell the opponents or the official. This time we did both."
The allegations continued to mount. During their game against Canada, the Swiss men alerted umpires mid-match to suspicions that a Canadian team member was again double-touching, according to Swiss coach Glenn Howard, a well-known Canadian curler. Howard noted that in his career, minor infractions were often overlooked, but he was uncertain about this latest incident.
Investigation and Camera Footage
In the early ends of Friday's match, Sweden skip Niklas Edin notified officials of his team's complaints about Kennedy. An official then remained at the hog line—the thick green line before which curlers must release the stone—for three ends to monitor Canada's curlers, with no violations recorded, as confirmed by World Curling on Saturday.
The online footage that appears to show Kennedy double-touching has raised questions among fans about how it was captured, as cameras are not typically stationed at the hog line. A staffer for Swedish public broadcaster SVT explained that their camera operator moved the camera to the hog line after Sweden raised concerns early in the match. The operator stayed there until capturing Kennedy's throw in the eighth end, footage that Eriksson said was shown to him by Swedish TV.
