At the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, several curling teams have been accused of violating rules against double-touching stones after release. The controversy began Friday when Swedish curler Oskar Eriksson accused Canadian Marc Kennedy of the violation during a match Sweden lost 8-6. Kennedy responded with profanity, denying the accusation. Videos circulating on social media appeared to show Kennedy touching the stone, though no official violation was recorded during the three-end observation period that followed.
On Saturday, Canadian women's skip Rachel Homan had a stone removed during a match against Switzerland after an umpire called a double-touch violation. Homan denied wrongdoing and suggested she was being unfairly targeted due to the men's controversy. Canada lost that match 8-7. On Sunday, British curler Bobby Lammie had a stone removed for the same violation during a match against Germany, which Britain won 9-4.
World Curling initially announced Saturday that two officials would actively monitor deliveries across four sheets of ice. However, within 24 hours, they revised this policy: officials would now only monitor deliveries when specifically requested by competing teams, for a minimum of three ends. The governing body does not use video replay to review game decisions. Canada issued a verbal warning to Kennedy for his profane language but no violations were officially substantiated against any team during observed periods.
