A heated exchange of accusations and expletives erupted during a men’s curling match between Canada and Sweden at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Games on Friday, leading to a formal warning from World Curling. The incident, which occurred near the end of the round-robin match, centered on allegations from the Swedish team that Canadian curler Marc Kennedy was illegally touching the stones after releasing them.
The confrontation escalated when Sweden’s vice-captain, Oskar Eriksson, directly accused Kennedy of cheating. Kennedy responded with a profanity-laced outburst, reportedly telling Eriksson, “You can f*** off,” and insisting he had not violated the rules. “I haven’t done it once, don’t chirp!” Kennedy was heard saying, according to reports.
The Swedish team had repeatedly raised concerns with officials throughout the match regarding Canada’s releases, even pausing play at one point to discuss the matter. Eriksson questioned the judge, asking, “So is he allowed to do it or not?” according to broadcast footage.
Kennedy, a four-time Olympian, defended his actions, stating, “I don’t like being accused of cheating after 25 years on tour and four Olympic Games,” and reiterated his denial of any wrongdoing. “So,” he added, “I told him where to stick it. Because we’re the wrong team to do that to.”
While officials did not issue any infractions during the game, World Curling released a statement on Saturday acknowledging the incident. The organization confirmed that a review of video footage found no rule violations, but issued a verbal warning to Canada regarding the language used by Kennedy.
World Curling likewise announced that officials will be closely monitoring for potential rule violations during the remainder of the Olympic curling competition. The statement did not detail any further disciplinary action regarding the accusations of cheating.
Canada ultimately won the match 8-6. The incident has sparked debate among curling fans and observers, highlighting the intensity of competition at the Olympic level and the scrutiny surrounding fair play.
