Canadian Curling News

[Yazata]

There was some excitement in Olympic curling (!!!) yesterday when a Canadian curler was caught touching the stone as it slid down the rink and the Swedish opponents called it out as cheating. Upon which the Canadian kind of disgraced himself and his team by shouting loudly that the Swedes should just "fuck off!!"

The judges at the match initially ruled that it wasn't a rule violation because the touch was before the "hog line" and allowed in the rules. (Before yesterday, how many of us had ever heard of the 'hog line' or knew what it was?) But the Swedes protested.

And the Swedes appear to be right. World Curling (who knew?) sent a letter to all the Olympic curling teams today clarifying the rules. Apparently the rule is that curlers are allowed to touch the handle a second time prior to the stone crossing the hog line, but touching the granite stone itself is a rule violation.

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