Canada-Sweden men’s curling saga at the Winter Olympics, explained

Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
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A brewing controversy is arising in the Olympic curling competitors, involving accusations of dishonest, denials involving F-bombs and a global governing physique having to explain why it successfully depends on the honor system at occasions.

So why did a recreation involving Canada and Sweden’s men’s groups devolve into this case? Well, we’re right here to fill you in.

Canada took the win in an 8-6 thriller, however the drama wasn’t simply on the ice.

In Friday’s round-robin recreation, Switzerland’s Oskar Erikkson instructed that Canada’s Marc Kennedy broke the guidelines by touching the curling stone after it was launched.

Kennedy shot again, Erikkson rebutted, a number of F-bombs have been dropped and Kennedy finally earned an inappropriate conduct warning from World Curling.

Yet nothing formally occurred on the day, with the decide primarily saying “beats me” when requested if he noticed the contact.

Replays and a few nonetheless footage do seem to point out Kennedy’s index finger extending, not in contrast to the finger of God connecting to Adam above the Sistine Chapel, to look the stone, but it surely’s not essentially conclusive.

Memes have since been made, accusations hurled and defensive positions taken. Social media was full of individuals accusing Canada of sullying the nice sport and sportsmanship of curling.

Eriksson concurred with Canada’s critics in his postgame interview.

“We want a game that is as sportsmanlike, honest and clean as possible, so we call it out as soon as I see that the Canadian No. 2 is, in my eyes, there poking the stone,” he stated after the match.

“He drops the handle, so it gets a green light and that’s OK, but you can’t then poke it in any other part than the electronic handle and, according to us, they did that.”

But Kennedy was equally as defiant and doubled down on his stance, strongly refuting the allegations directed in direction of him.

“He’s nonetheless accusing us of dishonest, and I didn’t prefer it. So I informed him the place to stay it as a result of we’re the improper staff to do this to. So I don’t care. He may need been upset that he was shedding.

“I have a ton of respect for Oskar Eriksson. He’s one of the best players to ever play. And I just told him, ‘I would never do that to you. I would never accuse you of cheating.’”

Canada’s Brad Jacobs additionally defended his teammate postgame, including gasoline to the already rising hearth.

“(Eriksson) was a little bit unhappy about some things that were going on, and he was voicing that, and I think just acting, trying to act a little tough, and we’re not going to have it,” Jacobs stated.

“If you think that we’re going to put up with anything from those guys or anybody period, you’re wrong. It’s just not going to happen,” he added.

Who knew curling might be so controversial?

In a really lengthy, elaborate rationalization following the “Cursing Canadian Curling Caper,” World Curling ducked these three traces right into a Saturday statement:

So … why not? It’s two extra individuals. Do we’d like a GoFundMe? This is the Olympics, in any case, and medals are on the line.

Still, World Curling did say, “Beginning with the Saturday afternoon session, two officials will move between all four sheets and observe deliveries.”

When Canada lined up for its Saturday round-robin recreation in opposition to Switzerland one sheet over from Sweden, you bought the feeling followers have been hoping for a WWE-style showdown.

It didn’t occur, however there may need been a little bit gamesmanship. Early on, the Swiss appeared to deliberately stand on both facet of the hog line, the inexperienced strip earlier than which the gamers should launch the stone, when Canada threw, however that’s not a completely unusual apply in a sport that, at the membership degree, adheres to pickup guidelines, a.okay.a. “call your own foul.”

Otherwise, it was a routine round-robin. No cursing. No fisticuffs. No accusations. Lots of cheering from the followers watching the eight international locations on the 4 sheets.

Switzerland beat Canada 9-5 and on the world marched.

The guidelines are kinda difficult – gamers can retouch the deal with as many occasions as they want earlier than the hog line, however touching the granite shouldn’t be allowed. It’s all difficult to see to the bare eye, and the handles are fitted with a contact sensor which interacts with the hog line to see when the gamers have launched their stone.

This is the place, you’d assume, the officers would are available in, besides, as acknowledged above, World Curling doesn’t station somebody at each hog line. Imagine the US Open spreading 4 tennis courts throughout and stationing two individuals on the farthest ends to find out foot faults.

On Saturday, World Curling’s concession to maneuver two officers between the 4 sheets resulted in, at one level, one official watching the Canadians in opposition to Switzerland, together with his again turned to US-Germany, and one other eyeing up Sweden-China, along with her again to Great Britain and the Czech Republic.

Admittedly, that is coming from an individual who is aware of not a lick about curling, however it might appear that having sufficient people readily available to verify the guidelines are adopted at the solely time most individuals have all their consideration on the sport isn’t an enormous ask.

The upshot of all of that is that Kennedy, who exterior of Canada couldn’t have been picked out of a lineup of vacationers, is now notorious.

He shouldn’t be some Joe Schmo, both. The Olympic gold (2010) and bronze (2022) medalist was as soon as voted the best male second in Canadian historical past. The 44-year-old, who paid his payments early in his curling profession by operating an M&M Meat frozen meals franchise, began a bonspiel (event) to encourage children to become involved in curling.

Now, nevertheless, he’ll without end be the Cursing Canadian.