Canada has been at the center of controversy since the second day of the men’s curling competition at the Olympics in Italy. Although the latest accusations have nothing to do with the alleged cheating scandal, it would be a poor reflection on the program if they are true.
The Canadians are accused of throwing their final match of round-robin play to avoid the Great British powerhouse during the semifinals.
Some fans will consider this to be a smart strategic decision in pursuit of a gold medal at the Olympics. Others will consider it another stain on the sport during a time where it is already under heightened scrutiny.
The curling Canadians deny cheating allegations.
This storyline first came to exist during the second round of the round-robin competition on Feb. 13. Sweden curler Oskar Eriksson accused Canadian curler Marc Kennedy of double-touching the stone upon release.
Kennedy told Eriksonn to “f— off,” which sent shockwaves throughout the sport of curling and the Olympics. It was the biggest storyline of the Games!
Team Canada offered a lame excuse for the cheating scandal, claiming it was set up by the Swedes. Kennedy and his teammates vehemently denied any wrongdoing. And to be fair, the video evidence seemed to back them up. He did double-touch the stone but he did not commit a violation
World Curling offered reprimand for his conduct but the governing body cleared him of an infraction.
The initial accusation by Team Sweden led to heightened surveillance at the delivery end and Great Britain was later forced to remove a stone as a result of a double-touch violation. It was not only Canada!
However, the controversy did not stop there. A Swedish news publication set up a camera to monitor the Canadians during their match against Czechia and caught them red-handed! Team Canada skipper Brad Jacobs double-touched two different rocks in the fifth and eighth ends. There is no way to deny it!
Did Canada lose to Norway to avoid Great Britain?
The double-touch scandal is not a thing of the past but we must move on until the officials decide to call another violation. Team Canada has not been penalized. It is what it is.
That leads us to the final session of round-robin play on Thursday. Team Norway faced Team Canada with major seeding implications on the line.
If Team Canada won, it would have finished atop the round-robin standings depending on whether Switzerland defeated Italy. If Team Canada lost, it would finish second in the round-robin standings.
A second-place finish would actually be more beneficial in terms of seeding. Great Britain was the overwhelming favorite to win the gold medal in men’s curling prior to the Olympics but a rough start to the tournament led them to finish in fourth place during pool play. The first-place finisher matches up with the fourth-place finisher in the semifinals. The second-place finisher matches up with the third.
Thus, it was actually better for Canada to lose to Norway to avoid Great Britain. And that is exactly what happened.
The Norwegians started hot with three points during the first end. They added two more in the third and two more in the fifth to go up 7-2 at the break. Team Canada later conceded the final rock to give Team Norway the win.
It was such a poor showing from the Canadians that the rest of the world thought they lost on purpose!
Norway clinched the No. 3 seed in the semifinals with the win. Canada finished second.
If the Canadians did decide to lose in the final session of the round-robin competition on purpose, it was the right decision. Great Britain dominated undefeated Switzerland by a final score of 8-5 in the semifinals. Team Canada defeated Norway during the rematch. Coincidence?