Double Touch Controversy at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics

The 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics have introduced a rather contentious topic: the double touch rule in curling. Just a day after the Canadian men’s curling team faced accusations from Sweden, the women’s team found themselves in a similar predicament against Switzerland.

Rachel Homan, a three-time world champion, was penalized for a double touch during the first end at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium this past Saturday. The incident escalated when Homan was heard arguing heatedly with officials, clearly dissatisfied with the decision.

According to officials, the issue stemmed from Canada touching the stone after releasing the handle—something that’s against the rules of curling. As a result, the stone was declared out of play.

“Absolutely not,” Homan was caught saying on a microphone. “There’s a zero percent chance [I double-touched the rock]. … I’ve never done that in my life.” Her frustration was palpable as she questioned the legitimacy of the call.

Ultimately, Switzerland triumphed, finishing the match at 8-7. Canada’s women’s team has now suffered three consecutive losses, sitting at 1-3 in the current Winter Games.

After the match, Homan expressed her lingering confusion. “I don’t understand what the call was about,” she noted. “I’ll never understand. We’ve never done anything like that.”

This situation came right on the heels of a heated encounter the day prior. Swedish player Oscar Ericsson had accused Canada’s Mark Kennedy of a similar violation, which Kennedy emphatically denied.

It was quite a spectacle, as the tension unfolded on the ice. Kennedy responded sharply to Ericsson’s claims, who countered with, “I’ll show you the video after the game,” referencing a supposed infraction on Kennedy’s part.

As they gear up for their next matches on Monday against China and Japan, one can only wonder what other surprises the remaining curling games will hold at these Olympics.