CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Canada’s embattled men’s curling team claims improper video was taken of an alleged hog line violation that threatens to engulf the Olympic bonspiel.
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Marc Kennedy, whose heated response Friday to cheating allegations from Sweden’s Team Niklas Edin made international headlines, said he believes someone on the Swedish side filmed his delivery in a bid to influence the event.
“They have come up with a plan here at the Olympics, as far as I know, to catch teams in the act at the hog line,” he told reporters. “This was planned, right from the word go yesterday. From the words that were being said by their coaches and the way they were running to the officials, it was kind of evident that something was going on, and they were trying to catch us in an act.”
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“I know we’re not the only team that they’ve done that to,” Kennedy added. “So I think this was — I don’t know what the word is for that — but like a premeditated plan to try to catch us.”
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Video of Kennedy’s finger appearing to graze a stone after release during Canada’s 8-6 win over the defending Olympic champs has gone viral, with Kennedy’s outstretched finger quickly becoming an Olympic meme. A video viewed by Postmedia appears to have been shot from the stands, with what appears to be a blue handrail visible in the foreground.
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Team Sweden denied any inappropriate filming, claiming the video came from the Swedish public broadcaster.
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Curling Canada CEO Nolan Thiessen told reporters he believes video had been shot outside of the strict rules for filming in Olympic venues. Usually, only the Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) is allowed to film events.
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“I was surprised that there was a live video on the hog line outside of OBS rules,” Thiessen said. “That seems odd to me.”
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In a statement, OBS said it did not produce the footage in question or know who captured the clip.
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“However, to clarify the general framework, OBS as well as any properly accredited media rights holder that has acquired broadcast rights from the International Olympic Committee is permitted to film within Olympic venues.”
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During the heated exchange on the ice, Swedish third Oskar Eriksson told Kennedy he would show him video of the alleged double touches after the game. After Sweden’s win over China Saturday, Eriksson said he was referring to alleged violations from previous games.
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Canada Coach Paul Webster claimed a “game was afoot” and that a “Swedish fan or Swedish official” may have been involved in filming the hog line from the stands.
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“They actually had videos for the Italian team as well. So they’ve got people up there videoing, and that whole thing was premeditated and planned.”
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“They were there, ready at the hog line, video recording.”
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Edin replied “absolutely not” when asked about Team Canada’s allegations.
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“We’ve been saying this for maybe seven, eight years or something,” he said of the hog line issue.
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“The media crew decided to place the camera on the hog line to see what was happening, to explain it to the people watching. It was Swedish media, the people covering the game that did that, we were told, at least. I have no idea, but that’s what we were told afterwards.”
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During his exchange with Kennedy — during which the Canadian third told him to “f— off” — Eriksson repeatedly referenced video of his opponent’s alleged hog line violation.
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“I’ll show you a video after the game,” Eriksson said the ice. “I’ll show you a video where it’s two metres over the hog line.”
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Speaking to reporters Saturday, Eriksson said he was referencing videos from previous competitions.
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“There’s a lot of games back in back in the day, where some players are over the hog line, and he’s been over a few times.”
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Kennedy maintained he did nothing intentionally wrong.
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“You know whether my finger grazes it or touches it, I know it has absolutely zero impact on the end,” he said, adding World Curling has since “made it very clear to not do that at all.”
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“I’m not going to sit here and adamantly deny that I haven’t done it,” he said of grazing the granite. “I can just adamantly deny that it was never done on purpose.”
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Postmedia has reached out to the International Olympic Committee for comment.
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A Swiss player made similar double-touching allegations as Sweden after Canada’s 9-5 loss Saturday afternoon, but said he does not believe grazing the stone has a major impact.
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Lead Pablo Lachat-Couchepin claimed that during the match against Canada, he saw an issue with Kennedy’s delivery.
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“I thought I caught sight again of the same issue, and the referee was right in front of me and was watching very precisely,” he said. “I always have confidence in the referee, so if he didn’t say anything it’s because it was his decision, and nothing happened. So I can’t be 100 per cent sure.”
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“I reminded the chief referee at the break that if we are sent an email (from World Curling), and we are asked to follow the rules more closely, well, if we put referees on the field of play, we also have to make them take their responsibilities.”
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Lachat-Couchepin nonetheless said the effect of double-touching is “completely marginal.”
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“I know that it’s not going to make a difference in the draw of the stone.”
