Curling

Two of curling’s best men’s teams, Sweden and Canada, involved in fiery and controversial match at Winter Olympics.

The often sedate world of curling has gotten heated at the Winter Olympics as cheating allegations and audible swear words overshadowed a feisty match between two of the best men’s teams.

Canada’s Marc Kennedy got offended when he was accused by Swedish rival Oskar Eriksson of “double-touching” – essentially, touching the rock again after initially releasing it down the sheet of ice – during Canada’s 8-6 win in round-robin play late on Friday.

Kennedy repeatedly used expletives to deny he broke any rules. The match came to a brief standstill as fingers were pointed and Kennedy argued with members of the Swedish team across the ice.

“I don’t like being accused of cheating after 25 years on tour and four Olympic Games,” the 44-year-old Kennedy said.

“So,” he added, “I told him where to stick it. Because we’re the wrong team to do that to.”

Eriksson said he simply wanted everyone to “play by the same rules”.

“We want a game that is as sportsmanlike, honest and clean as possible,” he said, “so we call it out as soon as I see that the Canadian No 2 is, in my eyes, there poking the stone.”

The rules state that a stone must be delivered using the handle that sits on top of the rock and that it must be released from the hand before it reaches the hog line. At the Olympics, that is the thick green line at each end.

Replays appeared to show Kennedy releasing the stone using the handle, then touching it again with an outstretched finger as it approached the hog line.

In the early ends of the match, Sweden notified the officials of their complaints. An official then remained at the hog line to monitor Canada’s curlers, and no action was taken. Curling does not use video replays.

World Curling did not take any action against either team.

MILAN — Korey Dropkin and Cory Thiesse became the first U.S. curlers to medal in Olympic mixed doubles competition Tuesday, but the medal wasn’t the one they were trying to achieve.

The American pair lost in a dramatic final, 6-5, to the Swedish brother-sister combo of Isabella and Rasmus Wrana at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

Dropkin and Thiesse led going into the final throw of the match.

A team skipped by John Shuster won gold in 2018, the last time the U.S. reached the medal podium in the sport. Shuster was also part of the only other U.S. medal-winning team, in 2006. That team was skipped by Peter Fenson.

Dropkin and Thiesse are the first Americans to win a medal in mixed doubles, which joined the Olympic calendar in 2018, while Thiesse is the first American woman to win a curling medal.

The U.S. reached the final when an incredible shot by Thiesse on the final delivery of Monday’s semifinal scored two points, turning a deficit into a 9-8 upset of Italy, a team that had beat the Americans in round-robin play. Sweden routed Britain 9-3 in its semifinal. Italy defeated Britain 5-3 for the bronze medal.

In a game of fine margins, Mouat and Dodds were repeatedly an inch or two away from where they needed to be.

They started with the hammer – theoretically advantageous in allowing a team to control a match – and had a shot in the first end to take three points.

However, Dodds’ effort was fractionally out and the Italians stole one. It would be a recurring theme as Constantini and Amos Mosaner dictated the contest.

The British pair levelled, before the hosts edged back ahead in a cagey third end and pinched another in the third. Again, it was a near-miss from Dodds.

That had Italy 3-1 ahead at the interval and GB chasing.

One in the fifth was less than they wanted but a big mistake by Mosaner in the sixth opened the door. Was this going to be the moment the momentum shifted?

It wasn’t. Constantini – a picture of tranquility throughout – played a perfect shot to ensure the Italians edged two clear again with two to play.

GB needed a big score, and deployed their powerplay, but again could only take one and were left needing a steal to even force an extra end.

They couldn’t. And they were left to face the nightmare scenario of another Games in which they have finished in fourth place and without a mixed doubles medal.

“We spoke last night about how lucky we are to be playing at the Olympics as best mates,” Mouat added. “We are two people that grew up together and never really knew where we could go with curling. It has been pretty special with Jen.

“I’m obviously pretty gutted but I’m so proud of us for sticking at it.”

In Beijing, they responded the right way, with women’s gold and men’s silver. What will they do this time?

Jen Dodds and Bruce Mouat react after failing to guarantee Team GB’s first medal of the 2026 Winter Olympics in their curling mixed doubles semi-final against Sweden.

WATCH MORE: GB’s Dodds & Mouat miss out on gold medal match with semi-final heartbreak

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