Tensions boiled over as Brad Jacobs’ Canada beat Sweden 8-6 in an intense round-robin curling sport on Friday, with Niklas Edin’s group alleging that their opponents had been double touching the stone in the course of the contest.
Hassle started early when the sport was halted after Sweden claimed Canada’s curlers had been touching the stone following launch and requested officers to maintain an eye fixed out for additional incidents. In response, Canada requested for the officers to do the identical on Sweden’s supply, resulting in a frosty environment between the groups.
After Sweden scored two within the penultimate finish to depart Canada with the hammer and a 7-6 lead, there was one other heated alternate between the groups’ thirds, Marc Kennedy and Oskar Eriksson. Eriksson advised Kennedy he would present him a replay of his Canadian opponent touching the stone repeatedly. Kennedy reponded by telling his counterpart to “fuck off”.
Requested concerning the alternate afterwards, Kennedy stated: “It’s good. It’s sport. It’s the Olympics. Each groups try to win. Oskar was accusing us of dishonest. I didn’t prefer it. I’ve been curling professionally for 25 years.”
World Curling has launched digital handles on the stones at these Video games, which flash purple if gamers are nonetheless making contact with the stone past the hog line – the purpose the place curlers should let go of the stone throughout supply. Every stone’s deal with is fitted with a contact sensor, which interacts with a magnetic strip embedded within the ice.
“There’s hog line units on there. I don’t know. And he’s nonetheless accusing us of dishonest. I didn’t prefer it. So I advised him the place to stay it,” Kennedy stated. “As a result of we’re the unsuitable group to try this to. So I don’t care.”
Sweden misplaced the opening two video games of their title defence to Nice Britain and Italy earlier than their defeat by the hands of Canada.
“He may need been upset that he was shedding,” Kennedy added. “He could be upset that they’re 0-2, greedy for straws. I simply advised him once more. I stated I’ve a ton of respect for him as a participant. I’ve by no means stated a nasty phrase about Oskar Eriksson. I don’t actually know what he’s making an attempt to get out of it. And yeah, onward. However I’m not going to face there and take dishonest calmly.”
Eriksson stated he and his teammates believed Kennedy was touching the stone and never the deal with containing the sensor, which means the purple lights didn’t flash.
“He requested who we thought was over the hog line and I identified who we thought was touching the rock,” Eriksson added. “It was clearly not a purple mild, however some gamers are touching the rock in line with us. And that’s not allowed … We advised the officers. They got here out they usually misinterpret the foundations, sadly.
“As a result of they thought double touching any a part of the rock is OK. After which they discovered that was unsuitable. You may solely contact the digital a part of the deal with.”
Swedish skip Edin stated it was unhappy to see the back-and-forth between gamers.
“We’re all tremendous good mates on the market,” Edin stated. “We’ve recognized them for 20 years. And [rule violations have] occurred many occasions earlier than, so it’s simply unhappy that it will get to heated discussions on the ice as an alternative of simply curling, in line with the rulebooks, however it’s what it’s.”
In a press release, World Curling stated umpires had been set on the hog line to watch deliveries for 3 ends after the difficulty was first raised in the course of the sport.
“There have been no hog line violations or retouches of the stone in the course of the commentary,” the assertion added.
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