Canadian curler Marc Kennedy is embroiled in a major controversy at the Milan Cortina Olympics, accused by Sweden of 'double-touching' the rock. Kennedy vehemently denies cheating, suggesting the accusation is a 'premeditated' attack, while the Canadian women's team also faced a similar charge.
A spiraling controversy has hit the Milan Cortina Olympics after Canadian curler Marc Kennedy was accused by Swedish rival Oskar Eriksson of 'double-touching' — touching the rock after releasing it — during their men's curling match. Kennedy, 44, acknowledged an expletive-laden outburst towards Eriksson but vehemently denied cheating, stating he has never intentionally sought an advantage. Despite online footage appearing to show him touching the stone, Kennedy claimed he was unaware this was a rule concern and couldn't confirm if he did it. He theorized the accusation might be a 'premeditated' attack by Sweden to catch teams. The controversy escalated when the Canadian women's team skip, Rachel Homan, also faced a 'double-touch' accusation against Switzerland, which she denied. World Curling issued a verbal warning to Kennedy but has not formally charged him, as they do not use video review. The governing body has since deployed officials to monitor players' stone releases. Eriksson stated he called out Kennedy's alleged rule-breaking because he had observed it previously and sought fair play, having informed officials in past events.
