Marc Kennedy is an Olympic champion with Canada. © APA/afp / MARCO BERTORELLO

After cheating controversy: Canadians win curling gold

First he was in the spotlight because of cheating allegations, now he is a second Olympic champion: Marc Kennedy has won the Olympic curling tournament with Canada.

February 21, 2026

From: dpa

The North Americans prevailed in a thrilling final in Cortina d'Ampezzo, defeating Great Britain 9-6. Kennedy and his teammates embraced, shouted with joy, and then celebrated exuberantly with their fans.

The last time Canadian men triumphed was at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi – without Kennedy. However, Kennedy had been part of the team that won gold in Vancouver in 2010.
Switzerland won the bronze medal match against Norway decisively with a score of 9:1 on Friday.

Alleged cheating dominated the headlines

At the start of the curling tournament, Kennedy caused a major stir due to an alleged cheating incident. The Swede Oskar Eriksson accused the Canadian of repeatedly touching the stone during the delivery. Kennedy reacted visibly angrily, denied any cheating, and even shouted a rude "Fuck off!" at his opponent.

Canada won curling gold. © APA/afp / MARCO BERTORELLO

The International Curling Federation issued Kennedy a verbal warning and, due to several similar incidents, implemented stricter monitoring of stone deliveries at all games. The internet also took notice: humorous memes about Kennedy's alleged cheating swept through social media.