2026 Winter Olympics: Curling controversy grows as Canada women’s team faces same double-touch dispute as men

Canada’s women’s curling team is now at the center of controversy at the Winter Olympics 2026 after officials ruled that a delivery violated the rules during a close match against Switzerland. The decision came after Rachel Homan was judged to have touched her stone again after releasing it, known as a double-touch. The stone was removed from play, and Canada eventually lost 8-7. The call immediately sparked confusion and debate on the ice.The drama comes just a day after Canada’s men’s curling team faced similar allegations during their game against Sweden. Both situations involve the same rule, and together they have triggered questions about consistency, judging, and how the rule is applied under pressure. World Curling later issued a clarification, saying officials would pay closer attention to deliveries moving forward, as the incidents became a major talking point of the tournament.During Saturday’s match against Switzerland, officials stopped play after ruling that Rachel Homan touched her stone a second time while it was moving. Under curling rules, players cannot touch the granite once it is delivered and in motion past certain points. The stone was removed, surprising the Canadian team. Teammate Emma Miskew asked why video review could not be used, but officials explained that on-ice judgment is trusted for such calls and video is not normally used during live play under World Curling rules.After the game, Homan strongly denied the infraction, saying, “Like, absolutely not. Zero-percent chance. I don’t understand the call. I’ll never understand it. We’ve never done that.”The issue followed a similar argument in the men’s competition. Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson claimed that Canada’s Marc Kennedy touched a stone after release during Canada’s win over Sweden. The exchange between players became heated, and later Canadian skip Brad Jacobs said the team felt unfairly targeted, suggesting the accusation was deliberate pressure during a high-stakes Olympic match.In response to both situations, World Curling released a statement explaining that re-touching the handle before the stone crosses the hog line is allowed, but touching the moving granite is not. Officials also said deliveries will now be observed more closely. The organization added that the Canadian men’s team received a verbal warning over inappropriate language, reminding all teams that respectful conduct is required at the Olympics.