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World Curling said that official protocol was followed after a complaint about double-touching the stone was made in a men’s curling game between Canada and Sweden at the Milano-Cortina Olympics.
Canada’s Brad Jacobs defeated Sweden’s Niklas Edin 8-6 on Friday in a game marked by tension between the sides and profane language that was broadcast via player microphones.
“The issue of second touches of the stone, specifically the granite, during the delivery was brought to the umpire’s attention,” World Curling communications head Chris Hamilton said Saturday morning in an email.
“Officials spoke with both teams and set game umpires at the hog line to monitor deliveries for three ends, which is the official protocol following this type of complaint. There were no hog-line violations or retouches of the stone during that observation period.”
As players cleared rocks after the ninth end, Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson expressed he felt some Canadian players were touching the stone a second time after releasing the handle during the game.
Canadian vice Marc Kennedy bristled at the accusation and lobbed a couple F-bombs in Eriksson’s direction.
On Saturday, CBC Sports reporter Devin Heroux posted on X that World Curling issued a warning to Kennedy, saying “further inappropriate behaviour … would result in additional sanctions.”
World Curling has issued a verbal warning against Canada’s Marc Kennedy.
“Further inappropriate behaviour … would result in additional sanctions”
Here’s the official release by World Curling. pic.twitter.com/FUiIyh4Kmp
Instant replay is not used in curling, a sport where players usually iron out any issues on their own. At the Olympics, an umpire is stationed at the end of the sheet and can be consulted as required.
Curlers occasionally utter the odd swear word in competition, which can make it on air since a delay is not used on curling broadcasts. However, profanity-laced exchanges are rare in the Roaring Game.
The Canadian men were scheduled to return to the ice Saturday afternoon against Switzerland’s Yannick Schwaller.