Swearing, secret filming and rule chaos: What’s going on in the viral curling cheating row?!

Curling, normally the Winter Olympics’ politest pastime, has turned into one of this week’s biggest dramas, complete with on-ice shouting matches, cheating accusations, and even a mystery filming row.

JOEL MARKLUND/BILDBYRÅN/Shutterstock

The trouble started Friday during Canada’s 8–6 win over Sweden, when Canadian curler Marc Kennedy clashed with Swedish rival Oskar Eriksson over an ultra-niche rule: You’re not allowed to touch your own stone after you let go of it.

Sweden claimed Kennedy did exactly that, twice. Kennedy denied it mid-match, tempers flared, and one Canadian was heard yelling: “You can f**k off!”

In curling, players largely referee themselves. Both teams signed the scorecard, so the result stood and officials later confirmed there’s no video replay for in-game decisions. Kennedy’s only punishment? A sanction for swearing.

@danney_paul Dear Canada, did this guy cheat? #olympics #canada #curling #sweden #fyp ♬ original sound – BoyongGotNoDrip

But then came plot twist number two. During the row, Eriksson reportedly told Kennedy: “I’ll show you the video after.” Soon, footage appeared online that seemed to show Kennedy touching the stone after release. Cue a second argument: Who filmed it? Canadian sources suggested Sweden had stationed someone to record the match, a big breach of curling’s old-school trust culture.

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Now Team GB have been dragged into the fallout. In Sunday’s match against Germany, Britain’s Bobby Lammie had a stone removed after officials ruled he’d lightly brushed it after release. The stricter call came after the Canada–Sweden saga, with curling bosses stressing that any stone touched after release must be taken out immediately.

@hanahoopss Winter Olympics is so goated #olympics #winterolympics #curling ♬ beach house off the drank by mc cece – mc cece

Team GB skip Bruce Mouat admitted the controversy has put players under a microscope, saying of Kennedy: “Yeah, we do [regulate ourselves], we all know the rules and what is supposed to happen. Marc’s been around for a long t ime and he knows what’s happening. I think we all trust that fair play is a big thing in our sport and we just hope that everyone sticks to it.

“I’m sure Marc didn’t mean anything by it, he just got caught on TV doing it. It’s a tough situation but it’s out there now and should be regulated by everyone including the athletes.”

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Featured image credit: JOEL MARKLUND/BILDBYRÅN/Shutterstock, TikTok