CORTINA D’AMPEZZO — The ongoing officiating dispute in Olympic curling intensified Sunday when British curler Bobby Lammie became the latest athlete penalized for alleged rule violations during competition. During the ninth end of Britain’s round-robin match against Germany, officials determined Lammie had made illegal contact with his stone after release—a violation known as “double-touching”—resulting in the stone’s removal from play. Despite the controversy, the British team secured a decisive 9-4 victory.
This incident marks the third such ruling in three days, following consecutive penalties against Canadian teams on Friday and Saturday. The initial controversy emerged when Swedish opponents raised allegations against the Canadian men’s team, with similar infractions called against the Canadian women’s team during their match against Switzerland the following day.
In response to the growing dispute, World Curling announced enhanced monitoring measures beginning Saturday. The governing body assigned two dedicated officials to oversee the four simultaneous curling matches during each round, though acknowledged the impracticality of stationing umpires at every hog line—the critical zone where stones must be released.
The organization maintains its position against utilizing video replay technology for officiating decisions, despite social media circulation of footage that appears to show the alleged violations. Questions regarding potential disproportionate surveillance of specific teams remain unanswered by tournament authorities.
Until Sunday’s incident, the controversy had primarily involved Canadian athletes, who represent one of curling’s most passionate international fan bases. The repeated penalties have sparked debate about consistency in officiating and the need for technological assistance in determining infractions at the highest level of competition.