Canadian Curler Brad Jacobs Slams Swedish Cheat Video as 'Ridiculous'
In a fiery response to renewed accusations from Swedish curler Oskar Eriksson, Canadian Olympic champion Brad Jacobs has labeled a recent video as "ridiculous", escalating tensions in the curling world. The controversy stems from a clip aired on Swedish television network SVT, where Eriksson demonstrated a "double touch" maneuver, reigniting debates over alleged cheating during the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina.
Rock League Clash Fuels Rivalry
The Rock League kicked off with a heated match on April 6, as Jacobs' Shield club triumphed over Eriksson's Alpine club at Toronto's Mattamy Athletic Centre. Despite the victory, Jacobs expressed no goodwill towards his Swedish rivals. "I have nothing good to say about Oskar Eriksson or that entire team or the Swedish curling federation right now. So I'm not going to say anything at all," Jacobs stated, highlighting the deep-seated animosity between the teams.
Scandi Scandal Revisited
The video posted in late March features Eriksson explaining how a double-touch can alter a stone's trajectory, referencing an incident where he accused Canadian curler Marc Kennedy of cheating at the Olympics. Eriksson claimed, "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." This has sparked confusion over World Curling Federation rules, which allow a double-touch before the hog line but prohibit touching after release.
Smack Talk and Accusations
Eriksson didn't hold back in his criticism, calling the Canadian team "Evil" and lamenting their playing style. "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," he said. Jacobs fired back, asserting that the video was unnecessary and that no cheating occurred at the Olympics, based on his interpretation of the rulebook.
Olympic Fallout and Ongoing Feud
The feud traces back to an Olympic match where Eriksson accused Kennedy of cheating, leading to a heated exchange. "Who's doing it? I haven't done it once. You can f*** off," Kennedy retorted. Canada ultimately won gold, while Sweden failed to medal, though they later defeated Canada at the World Men's Curling Championship. Fans hoped the controversy would fade, but Eriksson's video has brought it back into the spotlight.
Call for Resolution
Jacobs emphasized the need to end the dispute, urging collaboration with the World Curling Federation. "This whole thing is far from over, and that's very clear... we're going to try and work towards coming up with a good solution to all of this nonsense," he said. He insists that proper reading of the rules shows no infractions occurred, and the issue requires fixing to maintain the sport's integrity.
