sports
February 18, 2026
‘The whole spirit of curling is dead’: meltdown on the ice as ruckus rumbles on
Row between Sweden and Canada over accusation of double-touch continues to cast shadow over Winter Games
TL;DR
- Canada's Marc Kennedy accused Sweden's Oskar Eriksson of an illegal double-touch, leading to a heated argument and Kennedy telling Eriksson to 'fuck off'.
- Kennedy stated that the 'whole spirit of curling is dead' due to the focus on catching infractions, contrasting it with the tour's tradition of trust.
- The incident has gone viral, generating massive online attention, including AI skits and TikTok spoofs, significantly boosting the sport's visibility.
- Organizers briefly added extra referees but removed them after complaints, highlighting challenges in managing the sport at the Olympic level.
- Despite the controversy, the increased attention is seen by some, like Canadian skip Brad Jacobs, as potentially beneficial for curling's publicity and future growth, with new competitions already being planned.
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