Olympic curling officials shift monitoring system after controversy
World Curling has adjusted how stone deliveries will be monitored at the Winter Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo after a series of high-profile disputes between teams.
The revised approach, effective from Sunday evening’s session, follows complaints from multiple delegations about possible double-touch violations during round-robin play at the Cortina Olympic Stadium.
Monitoring now triggered by team request
Under the new system, two umpires will remain on the ice surface but will only observe deliveries if one of the competing teams formally asks for oversight. Once requested, officials will monitor throws for at least three ends roughly a quarter of a standard Olympic match.
In a statement issued after talks with representatives of the National Olympic Committees, World Curling confirmed that the previous system of active monitoring had been scaled back. The two umpires who had been tracking deliveries throughout games will now be available on request rather than automatically observing.
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Officials had earlier rotated between the four sheets during each round. The governing body said permanent positioning at every hog line the line a player must release the stone before crossing was not feasible given staffing and sightline limitations inside the venue.
Sweden–Canada clash brought issue to forefront
The debate intensified Friday during Sweden’s round-robin meeting with Canada. Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson alleged that Canadian third Marc Kennedy had double-touched a stone during delivery, an infraction that can lead to the stone being removed from play.
Kennedy denied the accusation and, in an exchange broadcast by TNT Sports, told Eriksson to "f**k off".
Canada later faced similar allegations in a loss to Switzerland, and other matches reportedly involved disputed deliveries. While curling relies heavily on player integrity and self-reporting, Olympic competition brings heightened scrutiny, and visible disagreements of this nature are unusual on the sport’s biggest stage.
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Rules reiterated after controversy
Earlier in the week, World Curling issued a clarification of the delivery rule following the Sweden–Canada match.
"Following the situations arising from the Sweden versus Canada game in men’s session four on Friday (13 February) evening, several issues require clarification," the organisation said.
The governing body reiterated that a stone must be clearly released before it reaches the hog line and must be delivered using the handle. Any violation of Rule R.5 including improper contact with the stone during forward motion results in the shot being taken out of play.
Game umpires are stationed at each end of the sheet but cannot observe every delivery angle without being alerted to a potential issue, the organisation acknowledged.
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Attempt to steady competition
By moving to an on-request monitoring model, officials appear to be seeking a balance between oversight and curling’s long-standing culture of sportsmanship. The adjustment keeps umpires available while returning primary responsibility to the teams unless a formal concern is raised.
With round-robin matches continuing, organisers will be hoping the revised system restores focus to play rather than officiating.
Sources: World Curling statement, TNT Sports
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