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  "path": "/sport/winter-olympics/curling-cheating-major-change-winter-olympics",
  "publishedAt": "2026-02-14T21:35:52.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "Winter Olympics athlete wins silver with one ski in 'miracle' scenes after 'disaster' crash",
    "Winter Olympics curling rocked by cheating row as tempers flare, players swear and match halted",
    "BBC forced to apologise after Canada star loses temper during Winter Olympics curling match",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\nWorld Curling has contacted every team competing at the Winter Olympics following the heated confrontation between Canada and Sweden during Friday evening's men's round robin fixture.\n\nThe governing body circulated an email on Saturday morning outlining the regulations surrounding proper stone release after allegations emerged that Canadian player Marc Kennedy had been double-touching during deliveries.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nIt has led to a change: two officials will now rotate among all four sheets to scrutinise player technique.\n\nThe correspondence confirmed that umpires would monitor deliveries across all remaining Olympic sessions.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTRENDING\n\nStories\n\nVideos\n\nYour Say\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe email said: \"For any remaining sessions of the Olympic Games, we will have umpires observing the delivery.\n\n\"Any violation of rule R5 (d) will be called and the stone will need removed from play with no further warning.\"\n\nThe controversy erupted when Sweden's Oskar Eriksson accused Kennedy of illegally touching stones during their 8-6 win over Canada.\n\nKennedy's response was captured by broadcasters as he told his Swedish opponent to \"f*** off\" on the ice.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe 44-year-old subsequently received a verbal warning from World Curling regarding his language.\n\nThe governing body said: \"During that meeting it was made clear to those officials that further inappropriate behavior, determined by rule R.19 would result in additional sanctions.\"\n\nKennedy later acknowledged he could have handled the situation differently, whilst maintaining he had done nothing wrong.\n\nHe said: \"You can't take it back. You learn from it and move on and try to get the focus back on the curling.\"\n\n### LATEST SPORT NEWS\n\n\n\n\n  * Winter Olympics athlete wins silver with one ski in 'miracle' scenes after 'disaster' crash\n  * Winter Olympics curling rocked by cheating row as tempers flare, players swear and match halted\n  * BBC forced to apologise after Canada star loses temper during Winter Olympics curling match\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe governing body's email clarified the precise regulations governing stone delivery at the hog line.\n\nPlayers are permitted to touch the handle multiple times before their stone crosses the hog line at the delivery end, but any contact with the handle beyond that point constitutes a violation.\n\nThe communication read: \"A double touch of the stone handle before the hog line at the delivery end is allowed. A re-touch of the stone handle after the hog line at the delivery end is not allowed and detected by the new handles.\"\n\nCrucially, World Curling confirmed that when game umpires observed Kennedy's deliveries for three ends during Friday's match, no infractions were recorded.\n\nThe organisation noted that umpires at the sheet ends cannot physically monitor every delivery; hence the introduction of roving officials.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nKennedy firmly rejected any suggestion of wrongdoing, insisting his integrity had never been compromised throughout his lengthy career.\n\nHe said: \"I can't think of once in my entire career where I've done something to gain a competitive advantage by cheating. And I take that very seriously.\"\n\nThe Canadian suggested Sweden had arrived at the Games with a deliberate strategy to scrutinise opponents at the hog line, claiming his team were not the only ones targeted.\n\nKennedy added: \"It was planned right from the word go yesterday, from the words that were being said by their coaches and the way they were running to the officials.\"\n\nCanada's tournament continued on Saturday with a 9-5 defeat to Switzerland.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n**Our Standards:The GB News Editorial Charter**",
  "title": "Curling chiefs announce major change to games and contact teams after cheating allegations caused chaos"
}