Curling team accused of flouting strict Winter Olympics rules with covert filming as cheating row escalates

The Swedish curling team has been accused of improper filming as the Winter Olympics cheating row escalates.

The Swedish team accused members of the Canadian side of double touching, which is when stones are touched on or after the hog line, the point by which a stone must be released.

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The Canada team was issued with a verbal warning by World Curling for ‘inappropriate language’ after Marc Kennedy admitted he had told Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson ‘where to stick it’ during an argument over an alleged rule violation.

Kennedy went on to accuse the Swedish team of planning to disrupt the event in order to influence the result.

“They have come up with a plan here at the Olympics, as far as I know, to catch teams in the act at the hog line,” he told reporters.

“This 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, it was kind of evident that something was going on, and they were trying to catch us in an act.

“I know we’re not the only team that they’ve done that to,” Kennedy added. “So I think this was — I don’t know what the word is for that — but like a premeditated plan to try to catch us.”

Team Sweden were accused of inappropriate filming from the stands, but they denied any wrongdoing saying it came from the Swedish public broadcaster.

Curling Canada CEO Nolan Thiessen told reporters he believed the video, which has since gone viral, was shot outside the strict filming rules in Olympic venues.

Usually, only the Olympic Broadcasting Service (OBS) is allowed to film events, but this footage was not.

“I was surprised that there was a live video on the hog line outside of OBS rules,” Thiessen said. “That seems odd to me.”

In a statement, the OBS said: “However, to clarify the general framework, OBS as well as any properly accredited media rights holder that has acquired broadcast rights from the International Olympic Committee is permitted to film within Olympic venues.”

AFP

Team Canada statement

“Following the situations arising from the Sweden versus Canada game in men’s session four on Friday (13 February) evening, several issues require clarification.

“Game umpires are situated at the end of each sheet and physically cannot see every delivery infraction. However, when they are made aware of delivery issues, game umpires are positioned to observe the delivery for three ends.

“During this period of observation in the Friday evening game, there were no violations recorded.”

Curling rule change

Following the heated incident, World Curling, the sport’s governing body, have released a statement to clarify some of its rules.

Under the section ‘delivery violations’, they said: “It is not possible for World Curling to have game umpires positioned to observe all hog lines for every stone delivery.”

They then added: “However, beginning with the Saturday [14 February] afternoon session, two officials will move between all four sheets and observe deliveries.”

This is a change from the usual positioning of officials and it has been made to help prevent further incidents.