The men’s and women’s Canadian Curling teams were accused of delivery violations at the Winter Olympics 2026 in their respective matches, which has put their campaign under scrutiny. But now, Olympic gold medalist Jennifer Jones comes to their defense. 

With the accusation gaining traction across channels, CBC Olympics addressed the issue in a direct conversation with their curling legend, Jennifer Jones. 

She was asked whether either Marc Kennedy or Rachel Homan had done anything wrong intentionally.  

“No, I don’t believe that they have. I think it’s maybe a part of a habit in their delivery, and honestly, the camera angles, it is very difficult to see for certain if there was a violation.”

“But any of the players who have had a rock pulled, I don’t think they’re doing it intentionally to give the rock extra speed or to alter its course. It’s just part of their delivery, and it’s just part of a habit that they have, and it’s a hard one to break. So I don’t think there’s any malice in what’s happening here.”

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“Again, I do believe it was just that tense altercation that’s really made the Canadian team front and center,” she added.

The altercation began during Canada’s men’s clash against Sweden, where Swedish curler Oskar Eriksson called out Canada’s Marc Kennedy for “double touch.” It’s a violation where the player touches the stone after it’s been released from the handle during delivery. This accusation led to a heated argument between the two.

The Canadian ended up abusing and drawing attention from officials and cameras. Kennedy was given a warning, but was not condemned for the accusation. Despite the tension, Canada went on to win the match 8-6. 

The very next day, Canada’s women’s team skip, Rachel Homan, was accused of the same violation during their match against Switzerland.  

In her case, the officials ruled against the Canadian side and removed the contested stone from play. This decision played a vital role in the match outcome, as they lost 8-7 to the Swiss.

Since the violation has come to attention, there have been significant consequences for the sport.

World Curling does not use video evidence or replays to overturn decisions made on the ice by the referees. But after the controversy, the committee had to appoint two additional referees to observe the deliveries of the curlers.

This led to a further disqualification of a stone in Great Britain’s match against Germany, thrown by Bobby Lammie. 

The campaign is still underway with Canada fighting for a medal and its reputation on the Olympic stage. 

Kennedy and Homan react to the allegations on their Curling incident 

Both Marc Kennedy and Rachel Homan have denied the accusation.  

Kennedy has explained his emotional response, defending his integrity for curling.

“I’ve curled my whole life, never once with the intention of getting an advantage through cheating. So when (my integrity) gets attacked, I get my back up and get a little bit aggressive.”

Still, the Canadian regrets his behavior on the ice and admits that he could have handled the situation better. Even though he acknowledged his refusal to apologize to Eriksson.  

Meanwhile, Homan was firm in her stance and perplexed by the official’s decision. 

“I don’t understand the call. I’ll never understand it. … It has nothing to do with us.”

Canada has dominated curling with 12 Olympic medals, more than any nation. They have been the trend-setters for the sport. Now, entangled in one of the biggest controversies in history, their curling legacy and leadership are under great pressure.