Boopgate, and what we know so far

Boopgate: The Integrity Crisis Shaking Canadian Olympic Curling

While the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina were intended to be a showcase of peak athletic performance, the narrative has been dominated by a single, peculiar term: "Boopgate." What began as a technical dispute during a round-robin curling match has evolved into a full-blown cheating scandal that has pitted Team Canada against the international curling community.

The Spark: The Sweden-Canada Confrontation

According to reports from AP News and NBC Olympics, the controversy ignited on February 13, 2026, during a men's preliminary match. Swedish star Oskar Eriksson publicly accused Canadian veteran Marc Kennedy of "double-touching"—the act of making contact with the 40-pound granite stone after its initial release to subtly influence its trajectory.

The exchange turned toxic when Kennedy was caught on a "hot mic" telling Eriksson to "f*** off." While Kennedy later apologized for his language, he remained defiant regarding the cheating allegations. SVT, Sweden’s public broadcaster, later released video footage that appeared to show a clear double-touch by Kennedy, further fueling the fire on social media (Sky News).

The Escalation: Rachel Homan and the Umpire

The scandal deepened just 24 hours later. CBC Sports reported that during a match against Switzerland, an umpire officially intervened, accusing Canadian skip Rachel Homan of the same "double-touch" infraction. Unlike the men's incident, which relied on rival accusations, the official’s ruling led to Homan’s stone being removed from play entirely—a move Homan described to reporters as "insane."

Context: Is it Cheating or a "Foot Fault"?

The curling world is currently split on how to categorize these incidents. Under World Curling rules, any touch of the stone after the "hog line" is an automatic foul.

The Accusers: Teams from Sweden and Switzerland have suggested these "incidental" touches are part of a systemic culture of gaining minor advantages.
The Defense: American curler Korey Dropkin defended Kennedy in an interview with CBS News, arguing that such a graze provides no competitive advantage and is likely a habit from before the practice was strictly banned.

The Shadow of 2024

The intensity of the "Boopgate" backlash is largely fueled by Canada’s recent history. As noted by PBS NewsHour, the incident follows the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics drone spying scandal, which resulted in point deductions and coaching bans for Canada Soccer. For many international observers, the curling allegations feel like a continuation of a "win at all costs" mentality in Canadian sports.

The Final Result

Despite the scrutiny, Canada showed remarkable resilience. The women’s team secured a Bronze medal, while the men’s team defeated Great Britain on February 21 to take home the Gold (NBC Olympics).