The 2026 Winter Olympics took a dramatic turn for Canadian curling after both the men’s and women’s teams became embroiled in cheating allegations. The controversy erupted when the men’s side, featuring veteran curler Marc Kennedy, was accused of violating play regulations, a moment he later admitted could have been handled better. As scrutiny mounted, attention quickly shifted to Canada’s women’s team
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The latest controversy came during the women’s match between Canada and Switzerland, which Switzerland narrowly won 8-7. During the game, officials suddenly stopped play and ruled that Canadian skip Rachel Homan had touched her stone again after releasing it.
According to curling rules, a player is not allowed to touch the stone once it has been delivered. As a result, the stone was removed from the ice, shocking Homan and her teammates.
NEW: Canada’s women’s curling team accused of cheating, just like their men’s team, after being called for the same infraction.
Just one day after Canada’s men’s team was called out for a “double touch,” the women’s team was caught doing the same thing.
Rachel Homan was heard… pic.twitter.com/RGz11PA0ur
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 15, 2026
Canada’s Emma Miskew questioned the decision and asked why video replay could not be used to review the call. However, officials explained that video review is not normally used in such situations and that the umpire’s judgment must be accepted. After the match, Homan strongly rejected the accusation.
She expressed her frustration and said, “Like, absolutely not. Zero-percent chance. I don’t understand the call. I’ll never understand it. We’ve never done that. It has nothing to do with us.”
This controversy came just one day after a similar accusation involving Canada’s men’s team. Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson claimed that Canada’s Marc Kennedy had illegally touched a stone after it crossed the hog line. Kennedy strongly denied the claim during a heated exchange, saying, “I haven’t done it once. You can f*** off.” Eriksson stood firm and responded that he would show video evidence later.
Canadian skip Brad Jacobs also reacted, suggesting his team was being unfairly targeted. He said the accusations felt “premeditated” and called them a “desperate” move by their opponents. In light of the ongoing controversy, the world curling authorities stepped forward to clarify their take on the matter.
World curling reissues rules on “double touch” following the Winter Olympics controversy
World Curling recently stepped forward to address the matter at the Winter Olympics. As a reaction, they restated rules on “double touching”. In a message sent to teams, officials clarified that players are allowed to touch the stone’s handle more than once before it crosses the hog line.
However, touching the handle again after that point is not allowed. They also explained that players must never touch the granite surface while the stone is moving forward, as this would result in the stone being immediately removed from play. To avoid further disputes, World Curling confirmed that umpires will now be “observing the delivery” more closely and enforcing the rules strictly.
The clarification came after accusations during both the men’s and women’s events, where Canadian players were suspected of illegal contact with the stone. These incidents created confusion and led to emotional reactions during matches. World Curling also addressed player conduct and issued a verbal warning to Canadian player Marc Kennedy for using inappropriate language during one of the disputes.
World Curling reminded teams of its behavior rules in an official statement. “Improper conduct, foul or offensive language, equipment abuse, or wilful damage on the part of any team member is prohibited, the comment said. “Any violation may result in suspension of the offending person(s).”
The organization now hopes that restating the rules and increasing supervision will ensure fair play and prevent further controversy during the remainder of the Winter Olympics curling competition.