Marc Kennedy alleges ‘premeditated’ camera sting in Olympic curling row

Kennedy says Olympic hog line cameras were strategically placed to expose his team during the double-touch incident

Canadian curling star Marc Kennedy has claimed he and his team were targeted by a “premeditated” effort to catch them cheating after they were filmed appearing to “double-touch” a stone at the Olympics.

The incident, which involved a potential infraction at the hog line, was captured on camera, prompting scrutiny of the Canadian side. Kennedy, however, suggested the footage was no coincidence.

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

Kennedy and coach Paul Webster accused Sweden of helping orchestrate the camera placement in an effort to expose alleged rule-breaking.

“I know we’re not the only team that they’ve done that to. 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,” Kennedy added.

Sweden strongly rejected the implication. Swedish skip Niklas Edin responded by saying concerns about Canadian conduct have existed for years.

“We’ve been saying this for maybe seven, eight years or something. The media crew decided to place the camera on the hog line to see what was happening,” Edin said.

The controversy has added tension to an already heated Olympic curling competition, with both sides standing firm on their versions of events.

Everything we know about the Winter Olympics cheating row as Team GB dragged in

The Canadian curling team has been involved in a cheating controversy. (Image: Getty)
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The 2026 Winter Olympics curling competition has been rocked by a “double-touching” scandal

The row ignited when Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson accused Canada’s Marc Kennedy of a double touch during a match. This rule violation involves a player touching the stone’s handle or granite after it crosses the hog line, potentially altering its trajectory.
Following the accusation, Kennedy launched into an expletive-laden outburst on live television. This led to a formal verbal warning from World Curling for inappropriate language, while the BBC was forced to apologise to viewers for swearing on the broadcast.
Despite Kennedy’s fierce denials, Swedish broadcaster SVT released footage that appeared to confirm a clear infraction. The clip, which went viral on social media, shows the Canadian star’s fingers lingering on the stone after the legal release point.
Kennedy later claimed the controversy was a premeditated plan by the Swedes to “catch” them. A hot mic reportedly captured Swedish players mentioning a team-mate was recording, leading to claims that Sweden used specific camera angles to trap Canada.
The scandal widened when Canada’s Rachel Homan was penalised for the same rule break against Switzerland. Her stone was removed from play, causing her to claim that Canadian curlers were being unfairly targeted due to the men’s earlier incident.
Increased officiating led to Team GB’s Bobby Lammie being flagged for a similar violation against Germany. Unlike the Canadians, the Brits accepted the punishment without complaint and went on to win their match comfortably.
World Curling initially ramped up hog-line monitoring but soon performed a sudden U-turn. Following athlete protests regarding over-scrutiny, umpires now only monitor deliveries for three ends if a competing team specifically requests it.
World Curling clarified that while players can retouch the handle before the hog line, any contact after that point is illegal. Additionally, touching the granite of the stone at any point during its forward motion is strictly prohibited.
As a global curling powerhouse, Canada’s integrity has come under intense fire. While World Curling stated no violations were officially recorded on Friday, the visual evidence and subsequent penalties have left the nation’s sporting reputation severely bruised.
The controversy set a fiery backdrop for the crunch match between Team GB and Canada. With both teams then fighting for semi-final spots, the “cheating” narrative added massive pressure to an already intense Olympic rivalry.