Take 2: Video from Swedish curler demos the double-touch and reignites an Olympic debate

Swedish hair curler Oskar Eriksson demonstrates controversial 'double-touch' in curling

Canadians' mild-mannered report was on the way of life come out after we went elbows up last year, but there's nothing like a curling controvery to really cement our change in temperament. 

Allegations of cheating were levelled at the Milano-Cortina Olympics in February — first against Canada's men's team then against the women.

Now, a new video from Swedish curler Oskar Eriksson is adding fresh fuel to one of the most debated moments of Olympic curling. 

The Olympic controversy over the alleged double-touching began during a match when Eriksson, the third for skip Niklas Edin, accused Canadian curler Marc Kennedy of breaking the rules by touching the granite of the stone with his finger after he let go of the rock.

In the video circulated last week by Swedish media outlet SVT, Eriksson demonstrates a double-touch — when a player makes contact with a stone after release — to show how he says it can alter a shot's trajectory. 

The 34-year-old can be seen gliding along the ice, broom in hand, as he releases a stone, then gives it a kind of boop with his index finger. 

Canada's Olympic curling controversy, explained

"At our level, just altering a stone by five centimetres on the other side, knowing how little you need to do to make that correction, is also a skill," Eriksson says during the demontration.

In February, Kennedy bristled at the suggestion that there was deliberate cheating and let Eriksson know it, adding "you can f*** off," which was caught on his hot mic. 

The heated exchange, followed by the release of covertly captured footage of Kennedy grazing the stone after release with his index, caused a firestorm, dividing audiences and raising questions about rules, interpretation and sportsmanship. But it's also proven to be one heck of a publicity stunt for a sport that's known as a gentlemen's game.

"I'm not taking anything away from the fact that they are good curlers. But I wish they had just chosen to play the same way that all other teams try to do," Eriksson says in the video. "Evil unfortunately wins sometimes."

"I think people are kind of jumping down Oskar's throat about it," Cullen said. "It became this massive story for the Swedish television network. So of course, when Oscar gets home from the Olympics, they're going to want to shoot something with him."

He also believes the nuances of Eriksson's comment about "evil" winning is somewhat lost in translation. 

"He's kind of joking," said Cullen, who consulted with some Swedish curling friends for interpretation of the video. 

"Oskar has a pretty good sense of humour and he's just sort of like a flippant guy in general."

"To see kind of like how seriously the Canadian team has been taking it has been very interesting," Cullen added, referring to bellicose reactions of Kennedy and his teammates after Eriksson's accusation at the Olympics.

While he agrees with Eriksson that Kennedy may have committed a rule violation, Cullen takes issue with Eriksson's re-enactment of it. 

"That was over the top for me," Cullen said. "It's not the same movement, in my view."

What happened? Breaking down the Canada–Sweden men’s curling clash

Eugene Hritzuk, a Canadian curler based in Saskatoon who has been involved in competitive curling and coaching for more than 60 years, agrees. 

"I don't think there's anything in that video that supports the idea that anything very wrong happened," Hritzuk said over the phone Sunday.

Hritzuk argues that Eriksson’s premise rests on a misunderstanding of the rules. Under World Curling regulations, a player is allowed to make multiple contacts with the stone during delivery, as long as it happens before the hog line. 

Adjustments to speed and line, whether through the wrist, elbow or even fingers, are a normal part of release mechanics, he said, and don’t constitute an unfair advantage. 

In his view, the idea that a light touch at release could meaningfully alter a shot at the elite level is overstated and may even backfire on a curler who tries it.

Hritzuk also points out that the debate over double-touching isn’t new. Similar concerns were examined decades ago, when the sport ultimately determined there was no competitive advantage and that policing such a rule would be impractical. 

He suggests the Olympic controversy may have been misdirected, with officials focusing on release mechanics rather than the more clear-cut possibility of a violation after the hog line. 

In his social media circles, Hritzuk has witnessed strong backlash against Eriksson for his accusation against Kennedy, but he also believes the Canadian team's defensiveness "wasn't handled well." He believes Eriksson may have been trying to "save face" with the re-enactment.

"Both of them are in the wrong," he said. "Curling is a gentlemen's game," that heavily relies on self-regulation, but Hritzuk says World Curling may have to look at officiating the game more closely as the sport expands. 

Hritzuk says a local club in Saskatchewan had its biggest open-house ever during the Olympics. 

"Overall, this has been very good for the sport," he said.

As for Canada's mild manners, he agrees Kennedy's reaction may have fallen outside the typical "please-and-thank-you" etiquette we're known for, but he doesn't think it means we've gone full villain-mode.

Still, the Swedes may have gotten the last word. Saturday, the Canadian team skipped by Matt Dunstone fell 9-6 to Sweden in the men's world curling championship with Eriksson part of Niklas Edin's winning team.

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