The controversy over the result of the men’s curling match between Canada and Sweden has not only left a severe impact on the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics 2026 but also on the sport itself. Both teams got into an ugly spat over the Canadians allegedly cheating to gain an unfair advantage over their Swedish counterparts.
Following that, the sport’s apex body, World Curling, has decided to update its umpire-monitoring protocols. The updated rules have been implemented since yesterday, i.e., February 15.
World Curling Updates Umpire Protocols After Canada–Sweden Controversy
Canada competed against the defending champions from Sweden on February 13. Contrary to their dominance at the Beijing Winter Olympics, Sweden’s gold medalists struggled to maintain that momentum.
However, tensions flared when the Swedish curlers accused the Canadians of manipulating their equipment, particularly Marc Kennedy. Kennedy got furious at the allegations and swore back at the Swedish players, creating a ruckus that compelled the local authorities to intervene.
Following the fracas, World Curling issued two statements within two days. In the press brief immediately after, the apex body for the sport cleared the Canadians of any wrongdoing but issued them a verbal warning for their conduct on the field. Following that, the World Curling updated its umpire monitoring protocols, and the aforementioned umpires for the match won’t officiate further matches unless expressly requested.
According to the new press statement, World Curling stated:
“Following a meeting with representatives of the competing National Olympic Committees, an update in the stone monitoring protocol has been confirmed, beginning with the evening session on Sunday 15 February. This change in protocol will see the two umpires who had previously been actively monitoring athlete deliveries remain available in the field of play, but will now only monitor athlete deliveries at the request of the competing teams. The umpires when requested will monitor deliveries for a minimum of three ends.”
Previously, the World Curling Federation had issued the following statement regarding the controversial Canada vs Sweden match:
“The issue of second touches of the stone, specifically the granite, during the delivery was brought to the umpire’s attention. Officials spoke with both teams and set game umpires at the hogline to monitor deliveries for three ends, which is the official protocol following this type of complaint. There were no hogline violations or retouches of the stone during the observation period.”
Team Canada’s Marc Kennedy revealed in a post-game interview that he could’ve handled the issue better and hopes it doesn’t happen again. Having won four of five games, Team Canada will face the Czech Republic tonight.
