Subsequent to debates surrounding instances of stones being touched twice in contests on the eighth day of the 2026 Winter Games, World Curling has modified its officiating structure for the remaining men’s and women’s preliminary and elimination rounds.
On Saturday, Canadian skip Rachel Homan’s initial stone was withdrawn during a game against Switzerland. Inquiries were raised about why the decision could not be reviewed via video, but World Curling regulations do not permit such reviews during active play.
Canada’s Rachel Homan had her stone pulled due to an umpire ruling she double-touched the rock versus Switzerland. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Bobby Lammie of Great Britain also had a stone removed from Sunday’s match against Germany for the identical offense. He appeared taken aback by the judgment.
After conferencing with the national delegations of teams participating in the Winter Olympics, game officials will now only observe player deliveries at the hog line upon receiving a team’s explicit request. Previously, the pair of umpires would be present during a match but refrained from interceding on such plays because it was impractical to have an official positioned at each of the four hog lines.
