Swedish Broadcaster Addresses Olympic Curling Controversy with Canada
Sweden's public broadcaster SVT has officially confirmed it was responsible for recording the now-infamous footage of Canadian curlers during a heated meeting at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. The video, which shows Canadian third Marc Kennedy's outstretched finger gesture, has become a central piece of the ongoing dispute between the Swedish and Canadian curling teams.
Broadcaster Dismisses Conspiracy Theories
Max Bursell, SVT's head of sports, addressed the controversy directly in an email to Postmedia, stating: "It's correct that SVT filmed the sequence with Team Canada." Bursell went on to dismiss what he called "conspiracy theories" about the broadcaster collaborating with the Swedish curling team to target the Canadians.
"The Swedish player couldn't have referred to our video because it didn't exist at the time of the quote," Bursell explained regarding the initial confrontation between Swedish third Oskar Eriksson and Kennedy. "I'm adding this because there has been conspiracy theories about SVT and the Swedish team being in cahoots on this ... and that's not how we work."
Filming Permissions Clarified
The Canadian team had initially suggested the video was filmed improperly as part of a sting operation by the Swedish team, potentially violating Olympic Broadcasting Services' strict rules. However, Bursell clarified that SVT had received proper authorization for their filming location.
"Filming in the arena is allowed from certain camera positions," Bursell stated. "This was not filmed from one of those positions, it was filmed from the stands which is not formally a camera position. However, we had asked OBS to be able to film from the stands a few days before the Canada-Sweden game, and that request was approved as long as we didn't film the Olympic family section."
Bursell added that SVT continued filming from the stands in subsequent days without objection from Olympic officials, further supporting their claim of proper authorization.
Canada's Response and Team Performance
Canada announced on Sunday that it would not pursue the issue any further, effectively ending the formal dispute. Meanwhile, Team Brad Jacobs has continued its strong performance in the tournament, defeating Olympic newcomers Czechia 8-2 in a Monday match that featured three consecutive steals for the Canadians.
The Canadian team currently holds a 5-1 record, placing them second in the bonspiel behind only Switzerland. The match against Czechia also provided a special moment for 27-year-old alternate Tyler Tardi, who was brought in at lead in the seventh end to replace veteran Ben Hebert.
"I wasn't expecting it, and I'm super honoured to be able to have that opportunity," Tardi said in the postgame media zone. Team skip Brad Jacobs noted: "It was nice to see his face and eyes light up. He was ready for the moment, he came out and he curled 100 percent, threw the rock great."
Returning to Normal Competition
Jacobs expressed relief that the team could focus on curling again after what he described as "the chaos of the past weekend," which included World Curling's reversal on officiating decisions. "It feels like we're back to normal," Jacobs said. "We're just able to play and be ourselves and execute on all of the things that we've all been working really hard on."
The controversy began when video emerged of Kennedy's finger-pointing gesture during discussions about a potential double touch infraction. While the incident has generated significant attention and speculation, both teams now appear ready to move forward with the competition as the Olympic curling tournament continues in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.
