Olympic curling fallout: jacobs fires back at eriksson's 'evil' claims
The simmering tensions between Canadian and Swedish curling teams have reignited, overshadowing the debut of the Rock League in Toronto. Brad Jacobs, the Olympic gold medalist, delivered a scathing rebuke of Swedish curler Oskar Eriksson after a new video surfaced seemingly attempting to justify the controversial double-touch call that plagued the Olympic tournament in February.
A video fuels the fire
The controversy, initially sparked by Eriksson’s accusation that Marc Kennedy, Jacobs’ third, committed a double-touch violation, resurfaced thanks to a video released by Swedish broadcaster SVT during last week’s men’s world championship. The clip features Eriksson explaining the impact of a double-touch, a technical point that became a lightning rod for criticism of the officiating during the Olympics.
Jacobs, clearly frustrated, didn’t mince words after his team’s Rock League victory. “I think it’s just ridiculous that this is still going on,” he stated, directing his ire at Eriksson, the Swedish team, and even the Swedish curling federation. He declared he had “nothing good to say” about them. The video itself quotes Eriksson as suggesting that “evil unfortunately wins sometimes,” a sentiment that has only intensified the animosity.
Rulebook and renewed calls for resolution
Eriksson maintains his team acted correctly in pointing out the potential infraction. However, Jacobs is adamant that the situation needs to be definitively resolved. “This whole thing is far from over,” Jacobs asserted, adding that he and the World Curling Federation are working towards a solution. He pointed to the WCF rulebook, emphasizing that, “there was zero cheating at the Olympics and this is all just ridiculous.” Rule 5(e) dictates stone release from the hand before the hog line, and Rule 9(a) addresses the consequences of touching a moving stone, explicitly stating a double-touch by the delivering player before the hog line is not a violation.
Despite the ongoing feud, some teams have maintained cordial relations. Canada’s Team Matt Dunstone, featuring Jacobs’ cousins, has reportedly offered positive feedback to Eriksson’s team, even joking about the controversy during the world championship.
Rock league innovations and a wider audience
Rock League is also testing hog line challenges, allowing teams one challenge per game. Jacobs, however, seems unconcerned, stating, “I don’t go over the hog line.” While the hog line cameras aren’t a priority for him, he acknowledged their potential to draw more attention to the sport – a potential silver lining in this ongoing dispute. “I guess the blessing in disguise is that a lot of people turned to curling that would’ve never otherwise turned to curling and got their eyeballs on it.”
Despite Edin's reticence throughout the affair, he empathized with Jacobs' response, stating he'd feel the same way in his shoes. Jacobs, however, made it clear there would be no reconciliation with Eriksson during the Rock League event. “No, and I won’t be interacting with him, period.”