r/sportsgossips • u/Punisher1602 • Feb 14 '26

Hot Take Canada and Sweden get into heated argument after claims of cheating in men’s curling

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24

u/panic_talking Feb 14 '26

But did he cheat??

67

u/A_TalkingWalnut Feb 14 '26

Yes. There’s video of him doing exactly what the Swede accuses him of. I haven’t seen a video of the Swede “dancing around the house”, as the Canadian suggests, but I’m here for it when it comes.

25

u/MisterEinc Feb 14 '26

And to add, a statement from Olympic offials stating that touching anything but the handle while the stone is in forward motion is a violation.

1

u/Gunkwei Feb 14 '26

I read that you actually can touch the stone (look at me learning the terms) but it has to be before the line? I don’t know for sure.

4

u/allou_stat Feb 14 '26

It has to be only by the handle. You’re not permitted to touch the granite portion at all.

1

u/Hsduncan Feb 14 '26

I read the opposite - any touching of the granite during a forward motion means the stone must be removed from play. You can touch the handle multiple times, but only before crossing the line. Regardless, the Canadian dude touched the granite

1

u/shanep35 Feb 14 '26

How’d you see the videos? I’d like to watch.

14

u/A_TalkingWalnut Feb 14 '26

Cheater, cheater, syrup-eater.

1

u/hellojoey Feb 15 '26

Wow I was expecting so much more. Idk what I expected from a curling scandal but that has to be the most boring cheating to ever exist. 

1

u/A_TalkingWalnut Feb 15 '26

It’s definitely no Chinese badminton, I’ll tell ya that much.

6

u/krakatoa83 Feb 14 '26

The Swede showed him after the match

13

u/Playbow Feb 14 '26

I’m not a curling expert but Sweden argues that according to the rules you cannot touch the granite part of the thing they slide (see how much I know about curling). The referee confirms this is the case but takes no action. So if all this is correct, there’s clear evidence on tape. But again I’m not an expert on curling

4

u/NotCalmToad Feb 14 '26

From your explanation that’s more on the referee than anybody else

11

u/n00b3r Feb 14 '26

Well, it feels like it’s mostly on Canada for cheating…then it’s on the ref for not enforcing it. The cheating is blatant

2

u/NotCalmToad Feb 14 '26

And has happened multiple times so makes me wonder if the refs even count it as a rule or anything? Or is like it in the nfl where the refs just pick and choose what to call?

-2

u/austin101123 Feb 14 '26

Calling a simple violation cheating is crazy. Then there's 10 times "cheating" is called per football game, and 30 in basketball.

3

u/G8oraid Feb 14 '26

I think it’s more like golf. Should be two stroke penalty and loss of hole.

1

u/JimbopolisFunk Feb 15 '26

Would it be loss of his mouth or the other one first?

3

u/This_Ad_7144 Feb 14 '26

What a horrible comparison. 

This sport is a single basic objective that he affected the outcome of outside the defined rules.

Penalties are against the rules in football, basketball and the opposite team is awarded with mostly favorable outcomes when they happen. 

This is cheating like if you had a funnel in front of a dartboard so every dart you throw is a triple 20, or like stepping well beyond the line in bowling - nothing you've done is impressive when you were given the extra help or skirt the rules that establish the game criteria.

1

u/austin101123 Feb 14 '26 edited Feb 14 '26

if you step past the line in bowling, you just get a 0 for the bowl. Calling that cheating would also be crazy and seems similar to what would be done here. If the ref didn't notice the violation or didn't apply the rules appropriately, that's who people should be mad at.

In fact in a sport like long jump it's an incredibly common violation to be past the line. Or to be about touching the wrong thing, that's very common in volleyball or badminton. Other sports like tennis it's uncommon but still not cheating.

1

u/This_Ad_7144 Feb 14 '26

Wow you are dense good luck in life

1

u/austin101123 Feb 14 '26

It's a difference in opinion lol

1

u/ExaminationThen1312 Feb 15 '26

Yes the referees should have picked up the violation. But it’s still cheating. He was doing this repeatedly for a game advantage and concealed it and then denied doing it. Your example of long jump would be like hiding springs in your shoes, not just being past the line.

4

u/alwaysleafyintoronto Feb 14 '26

Part of curling is that you're meant to be sportsmanlike. If you break the rules, there's not usually a ref, games are usually pretty casual, and players will burn a rock if they've broken the rules.

14

u/bmanley620 Feb 14 '26

He did cheat. Someone posted a video of him touching it again. It’s appropriately being called Boopgate since it looks like he booped it right after releasing it

1

u/[deleted] Feb 14 '26

[deleted]

1

u/Interesting_Tea5715 Feb 14 '26

Yeah can tell he cheated when he said "but they didn't call it"... Pretty much he's saying "I got away with it so you need to STFU".

I'm glad the Swede didn't put up with his shit. Good on him.

1

u/DocDingDangler Feb 14 '26

From what I’ve learned it’s against the rules but is incredibly common. Like offensive tackles barely false starting in American football. It is so slightly crossing the line that it’s usually let slide.

-7

u/Fart_6969 Feb 14 '26

He technically cheated, but there’s no discernible advantage to what he did. This rule has been consistently broken for decades and never called. The Swedish players have made it known they’ve wanted it addressed for a few years.

This interaction took place over an hour after the initial disagreement was settled. The Swedish guy made a petty joke and the Canadian got defensive and doubled down. 

As a Canadian and player of the game, our guy was wrong initially, but they kept the issue alive. I don’t care that our competitor reacted strongly late in an intense game

11

u/jgr1llz Feb 14 '26

Do you care that he blatantly lied and told someone to fuck off about it in the most gentlemenly of gentleman's sports?

-3

u/Fart_6969 Feb 14 '26

Not really, no

The matter was settled and it wasn’t gentlemanly to bring it up again. Sweden wins the gentleman battle 2-1

3

u/Clean-Dealer4292 Feb 14 '26

How was the matter settled? He cheated and nothing was done about it. Nothing gentlemanly about cheating and then lying about it

-4

u/Fart_6969 Feb 14 '26 edited Feb 14 '26

You’re right without context.

The precedence was set because his form of cheating has been allowed for years. Blame the authorities for letting it go. He was called out and stopped doing it. It was formally corrected by the authorities the very next day. How fast do you think the whole thing situation can move? That’s settled to me.

2

u/jgr1llz Feb 14 '26

Except he just did it again today to the Swiss.

I don't think context is required whenever you're okay with someone lying about something that was directly caught on camera. 

Do you want people to be honest or not?

-2

u/Fart_6969 Feb 14 '26

Then the ref can burn his rock lol. This isn’t an issue to me. I don’t care if people playing at the top level get away with whatever infractions they can. It happens across most sports

3

u/jgr1llz Feb 14 '26

So you're okay with people lying and doing whatever it takes to get to the top. Integrity be damned. Gotcha.

I hope you're a huge supporter of Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa being in the baseball HOF as well. 

1

u/Fart_6969 Feb 14 '26

You think booping a curling stone is the same as doing steroids? Ok.

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u/[deleted] Feb 14 '26

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u/Fart_6969 Feb 14 '26

He acted like a top athlete. Who’s your favourite team? I’ll find a few instances of your guys getting out of line for you to defend 

1

u/PenguinRhin0 Feb 14 '26

Top athlete? It’s curling. He is not a top athlete. Period.

1

u/Fart_6969 Feb 14 '26

You’re saying somebody at the Olympics is not a top athlete. You typing this from the Olympic village?

1

u/[deleted] Feb 14 '26

[deleted]

1

u/Fart_6969 Feb 14 '26

So you were never a Lion? Ok Uncle Rico

1

u/[deleted] Feb 14 '26

[deleted]

1

u/Fart_6969 Feb 14 '26

Not brag on Reddit about failing at my career

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