Amanda Ross

Editor-In-Chief

In an already tumultuous Winter Olympics, Curling now faces a scandal regarding cheating and unsportsmanlike conduct. The incident threatens the typically tight knit curling community and the credibility of Olympic judging. 

Curling is played by two teams of four players who compete to see who can slide granite stones closest to the center of a set of circular rings. This can then be assisted by sweeping the ice in front of the stone, to help it glide along the ice with less resistance. Points are scored based on how close to the center circle stones are, and the team with the most points scores for that round. A typical game of curling has ten rounds. For stones to count, they must be slid from behind a marked line called the Hog Line. After a stone is released it is not to be touched by the slider.

On Friday, February 13, Swedish and Canadian players were observed having a verbal altercation on the ice during their match. Swedish players accused the Canadian team of performing illegal double touches, in which a player gently pushes the stone with their finger after it has been released. Given this potentially allow for extra distance, vital in getting to the circles across the 45 foot sheet of ice Curling is played, this move is illegal. Canadian player Mark Kennedy, who was accused, cursed and rebuked the allegation. This was part of the official broadcast. 

World Curling did not choose to investigate the matter further, saying that they deferred to the umpires who were present at the time. They did say they would assign officials to specifically observe the sliding of the stone going forward. This was in spite of what appears to be clear video from Swedish television showing the double touch taking place. They also issued a conduct warning to Kennedy regarding his language. Extra officials observed a day of women’s competition at the Olympics, but were then removed out of concern for the consequences of changing procedure during one of the most high-profile events in the sport. Currently, it is unclear if there are plans for a long-term investigation into the incident or the allegations of cheating.