The Canadian men's curling team secured Olympic gold at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games following a contentious match against Sweden. Accusations of cheating led to a heated exchange between players Marc Kennedy and Oskar Eriksson, captured in a viral video. Post-event comments from Canadian lead Ben Hebert have kept the rivalry alive.
The incident occurred during the round-robin stage of the men's curling tournament at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics on February 13, 2026. Sweden's Oskar Eriksson accused Canada's Marc Kennedy of double-touching the stone by contacting both its handle and surface during a throw, violating rules against touching the granite beyond the hog line. Although players may touch the handle freely, such contact is prohibited under World Curling Federation regulations introduced earlier that year.
The accusation sparked a profanity-laced verbal altercation between Kennedy and Eriksson, which was recorded and quickly went viral. World Curling reviewed the footage and issued Kennedy a verbal warning for inappropriate language but did not charge him with cheating. Officials responded by placing umpires near the hog line to monitor subsequent deliveries, emphasizing the sport's reliance on integrity.
Canada won the match 8-6 and advanced, defeating Norway in the semifinals before beating Great Britain in the gold-medal game. Sweden, entering the match with a 0-3 record, finished last in the tournament. The Canadian women's team faced similar double-touching allegations the next day, resulting in a stone removal and an 8-7 loss to Switzerland.
Back in Canada, lead Ben Hebert addressed the feud in a Sportsnet 960 interview, calling Eriksson a 'weasel' and 'prick' while acknowledging his skill. 'Oskar Eriksson, as much as he’s a weasel, he’s an unreal player. It’s a good thing that he’s an awesome player, because he’s a complete prick and nobody really likes him,' Hebert said. He attributed Eriksson's actions to 'sour grapes' from Sweden's poor form and a two-to-three-year decline, suggesting it was a ploy for media attention.
Hebert noted that Kennedy's technique is standard in Canada but conflicted with Olympic rules. 'In Canada, you can throw the rock however you want, touch any part of the rock, no big deal,' he explained. Despite past losses to Sweden, Hebert viewed the gold as retribution: 'Here’s one way to deal with a bully: you punch them in the mouth. That’s what we did.'
Kennedy rejected the claims, suggesting Sweden had coordinated to target Canadian deliveries, a concern Swedish officials said had been raised for years. Separately, retired NFL player Jason Kelce commented on his New Heights podcast, joking in Canada's defense: 'If you're not cheating you're not trying.' He noted the lack of severe penalty and praised Kennedy's denial, framing it as competitive intensity rather than endorsement of rule-breaking.
The episode has drawn global attention to curling, traditionally seen as a gentle sport, highlighting tensions in high-stakes competition.