Canada’s curling squads encounter fresh accusations of rule violations at the 2026 Winter Olympics, with both women’s and men’s teams cited for double-touching stones during key matches.
Women’s Team Penalized in Tight Loss to Switzerland
During Saturday’s match against Switzerland, which ended in an 8-7 defeat for Canada, officials removed a stone thrown by skip Rachel Homan after ruling she touched it post-release. The infraction occurred on her first delivery, prompting teammate Emma Miskew to challenge the decision and request a video review.
World Curling regulations uphold the umpire’s judgment without video intervention in such cases. Homan firmly rejected the claim, stating, “Like, absolutely not. Zero-per cent chance.” She added, “I don’t understand the call. I’ll never understand it. We’ve never done that. It has nothing to do with us.”
Miskew expressed confusion, noting, “It looked like a really good throw to us from the side, so I’m confused at that.”
Men’s Team Draws Similar Scrutiny Against Sweden
The women’s incident follows controversy in the men’s competition, where Canada secured an 8-6 victory over defending champions Sweden. Swedish curler Oskar Eriksson accused Canada’s Marc Kennedy of double-touching, sparking a heated exchange. Kennedy responded sharply, telling Eriksson to “f— off.”
Officials monitored subsequent ends closely but found no hogline violations or stone retouches. The Canadian men’s team received a verbal warning for language used during play.
Canada Addresses Allegations
Curling Canada issued a statement reaffirming commitment to fair play: “Officials closely monitored for any release rule infractions, including touching the granite. No violations were identified. We fully support fair play, respect, and sportsmanship.”
World Curling Responds to Growing Concerns
Amid the disputes, World Curling clarified rules on double-touching: players may retouch the handle before the hog line but cannot contact the stone as it moves forward. Officials now observe deliveries more rigorously, with warnings issued for improper conduct under Rule R.19.
