Controversy is swirling in curling on the Winter Olympics.
The Canadian males’s and girls’s groups, in addition to the British males’s staff, have been accused of the identical infraction: double-touching the curling stone after it’s launched.
It comes as Canada, a historic curling powerhouse, finds its ego bruised. Its combined doubles staff did not even play for a medal, and its ladies’s staff can not afford to lose extra matches if it hopes to advance.
This is a have a look at the entire controversy and why it issues:
What occurred on the curling heart in Cortina
On Friday, Oskar Eriksson of Sweden accused Canada’s Marc Kennedy of breaking the principles by touching the rock once more after initially releasing it down the sheet of ice. Kennedy responded with an expletive-laden outburst.
That was earlier than video showing to point out a transparent double-touch by Kennedy circulated on social media, taken by Swedish public broadcaster SVT. Nonetheless, he maintained his innocence. The Canadians received the match, 8-6.
Late Saturday, an umpire accused acclaimed Canadian skip Rachel Homan of the identical infraction in a recreation towards Switzerland. The umpire stopped play and the stone was faraway from play. Homan regarded shocked and denied the allegation.
Once more, video unfold on social media showing to point out her double-touch. The Canadians misplaced to the Swiss, 8-7.
Then, on Monday, within the ninth finish of Britain’s round-robin recreation towards Germany, officers mentioned Bobby Lammie of Scotland had touched a stone after releasing it.
Sweden accused Canada’s Marc Kennedy of illegally touching his stone throughout a heated Olympic match. Right here’s what to find out about what occurred and the way World Curling responded.
There are guidelines towards double-touching
After the uproar, World Curling clarified that double-tapping will not be allowed, issuing an announcement: “Throughout ahead movement, touching the granite of the stone will not be allowed. This may outcome within the stone being faraway from play.”
Here’s what the Canadians say
Requested concerning the footage, Kennedy mentioned: “If anyone mentioned to you, ‘Hey, do you double-touch on a regular basis?’ I truthfully, in that cut up second of a second, I couldn’t even inform you if I do or not.”
He then advised the entire thing may need been “premeditated planning to attempt to catch us.”
“They’ve give you a plan to catch groups within the act,” Kennedy mentioned.
Homan, in the meantime, postulated that she was being unfairly focused due to the controversy on the boys’s aspect.
“I don’t perceive the decision. I’ll by no means perceive it. We’ve by no means performed that,” she mentioned. “It has nothing to do with us.”
Each Olympic curling stone begins on Ailsa Craig, a tiny uninhabited island off Scotland. The island produces the ultra-dense granite, together with the uncommon “blue hone,” discovered nowhere else on the earth, used to make the 44-pound stones seen on the Winter Olympics.
Why that is such a giant story
As fierce because the competitors may be, curling has a quiet camaraderie regardless that there have been scandals (see: Broomgate, a sweeping-related headache that World Curling believes it solved final June). So it stands proud when there are allegations of dishonest.
Canada can be the highest nation in curling, simply its largest market and the place the largest non-Olympic competitions are inclined to happen. The Canadians are taking it personally that their integrity is coming beneath assault in entrance of a worldwide viewers on the Olympics, which touts the values of respect and friendship.
The athletes enjoying for Canada and Sweden was once shut off the ice — large rivals, certain, however admiring of one another’s expertise. Now there’s clear animosity between the groups, which is intriguing for the informal viewer however a blow to the curling neighborhood.
What’s subsequent
Canada’s curlers are the place they don’t need to be in the course of a Winter Olympics: on the again foot, not simply questioning their approach — “We’ll make some changes, release-wise, if we’ve to,” Kennedy mentioned — but additionally scrambling to be within the combine for medals on the finish of the week.
Kennedy had the worst shot success of Canada’s 4 gamers in its solely recreation Saturday. Canada misplaced 9-5 to Switzerland, a staff it was anticipated to beat.
All eyes are on each groups now. The Canadian males wouldn’t face Sweden once more earlier than the semifinals, ought to each groups make it, and that might be must-see TV whether or not you’re a curling fan or not.
