Olympics-Curling-Sport faces identity crisis as cheating controversy forces rethink of regulations

Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics - Curling - Women's Bronze Medal Game - Canada vs United States - Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy - February 21, 2026. General view of a curling stone during the women's bronze medal match between Canada and United States REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy, Feb 21 (Reuters) - After being shaken ⁠by claims of cheating at the Winter Olympics, curling finds itself between a rock and a hard place as it looks to regulate an ⁠increasingly competitive sport while keeping alive the long-standing honour-based system it so cherishes.

Curling has always prided itself on being a sport where players ‌call their own fouls, but when Canada were accused of cheating by Sweden in a fiery clash, the limitations of that approach were laid bare.