CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Canadian skip Rachel Homan erupted after an official removed one of her stones for an alleged double-touch during Canada’s 8-7 extra-end loss to Switzerland in Olympic women’s round-robin play Saturday. The disputed decision came as World Curling moved to tighten delivery oversight following a bitter Sweden-Canada men’s dispute that pushed “double-touch” accusations into the spotlight, Feb. 14, 2026.
Rachel Homan calls the ‘double-touch’ ruling “insane”
Rachel Homan said her first delivery was judged from the sidelines as a violation and her stone was pulled — a moment that rattled Canada early in a game it ultimately lost by one. Rachel Homan insisted her release was clean and questioned how the official could be certain without a better angle or a review.
“I don’t understand the call. I’ll never understand it,” Rachel Homan said after the match, according to Reuters. Rachel Homan added that her hand “did not move” on release and argued that if officials believed they saw something, they should be able to verify it.
Swiss skip Silvana Tirinzoni said she did not see the infraction herself but complied with the umpire’s direction to remove the stone. Switzerland improved its early tournament position while Canada slid to the bottom half of the standings after the defeat.
What a “double-touch” means in curling
The controversy hinges on what a player is allowed to touch during delivery. World Curling said players can regrip the handle before the hog line, but any contact after the hog line can trigger a removal, and touching the granite during forward motion is prohibited.
In its official clarification, World Curling said it does not use video replay to overturn in-game calls and that decisions are final. The governing body also reiterated that the stone must be delivered using the handle, with violations resulting in the stone being removed from play.
World Curling ramps up oversight after Sweden–Canada dispute
Rachel Homan’s frustration arrived less than 24 hours after a men’s match between Sweden and Canada devolved into accusations of illegal touching and a profanity-laced exchange caught on live microphones. Sweden alleged a Canadian player was making contact in a way not detected by the stones’ electronic handles, which are designed to flag late releases at the hog line.
World Curling responded by adding roaming officials to observe deliveries across all four sheets beginning Saturday afternoon, a step it said was necessary because umpires stationed at the ends of the sheet cannot see every potential delivery infraction. The move followed Sweden’s complaint after Canada’s men beat Sweden 8-6, as Reuters reported.
Canadian broadcaster Sportsnet reported that Rachel Homan was heard on the broadcast rejecting the call in real time and later criticized officials for “getting into the game.” Rachel Homan said the episode was especially jarring because the women’s competition has rarely seen stones removed for this type of allegation.
NBC Olympics described the men’s dispute as unusually combustible for a sport that typically relies heavily on player self-policing, noting that replay is not used and officials generally step closer to observe only after concerns are raised.
Why Rachel Homan’s dispute hits harder for Canada
Rachel Homan and Tirinzoni are not just Olympic rivals — they have shaped the women’s game for two seasons. Canada’s Rachel Homan beat Switzerland for the 2024 world title, according to World Curling’s championship recap, and the rivalry carried into 2025 as well.
Canada returned in 2025 and repeated as champions, with Rachel Homan again finishing on top, World Curling reported. Those recent head-to-head finals have helped frame Canada-Switzerland as one of the marquee matchups of the Milano Cortina Games — and raised the stakes when a single removed stone can swing an end, momentum or, ultimately, a medal chase.
For Rachel Homan, the bigger concern is consistency. With the sport’s governing body reinforcing that in-game decisions are final and expanding delivery monitoring after the Sweden-Canada flare-up, Rachel Homan’s team now has to navigate an Olympic tournament where the margins are thin and the spotlight on the hog line is brighter than ever.
