CORTINA D’AMPEZZO – Canadian women’s curling skip Rachel Homan sounded off Saturday after she had a rock pulled in an 8-7 loss to Switzerland, claiming she was unfairly punished for a ‘double-touching’ controversy involving Canada and Sweden in the men’s draw.
Homan’s first rock of the game was pulled by the umpire, who ruled she touched the granite after releasing the handle. The draw didn’t touch any other stones and it was removed when it came to rest.
Clearly frustrated after losing in an extra end, Homan was asked by reporters if she felt she was being unfairly treated.
“100 per cent,” Homan said. “Without a doubt.”
Canada managed a single in the first end and led 4-0 after three. But Silvana Tirinzoni’s side pulled ahead with a four-point seventh end and won when Alina Paetz drew the button in the 11th.
The loss left Canada with a 1-3 record with five round-robin games to play.
World Curling made a change Saturday after the contentious men’s game between teams skipped by Brad Jacobs and Niklas Edin a night earlier at Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
Swedish vice Oskar Eriksson felt some Canadian players were touching the rock twice before throwing the stone. It’s a rule violation to touch the granite after releasing the handle on top of the rock.
Canadian vice Marc Kennedy disputed the accusation and used profanity to make his point.
The salty language was aired on the broadcast feed since all players wear microphones. No violations were called in the game.
In a statement, World Curling said it wasn’t possible for umpires to be positioned to observe all hog lines. Instead, the governing body said that starting Saturday afternoon, two officials would move between the four sheets and observe deliveries.
Typically curlers call their own infractions – if a rock is burned, for example – and advise other players of what happened. If one team notices a potential violation, they would traditionally either sort it out themselves or discuss with an umpire.
Homan was incredulous when told her stone would be removed.
Teammate Emma Miskew asked to speak with chief umpire Brett Waldroff, who advised the players that the observation of the umpire would stand.
Instant replay or video-assisted technology is not used in curling.
“I mean when you’re standing on the side, you can’t see exactly,” Homan said. “You let it go and your hand is right there. My hand did not move when I released it. I have no idea what she saw.
“And yeah, if she saw something, then look at the video, go watch it a thousand times, you’re not going to see (anything). It’s not even a thing. So it’s frustrating for that to come into our game. It didn’t make any sense.”
Slow-motion replays on the game broadcast were inconclusive.
“I don’t understand the call,” Homan said. “I’ll never understand it. We’ve never done that. It has nothing to do with us. That shouldn’t be in our game.
“There’s no infractions on the women’s side at all. It was absurd.”
Canada was scheduled to return to play Monday against China’s Rui Wang.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 14, 2026.
© 2026 The Canadian Press