The whole double-touching of stones story is far from over.

In fact, five more pieces to this one.

First off, some quotes from after the Canada V Sweden game, and some more quotes from later on. These quotes from numerous sources, including the Olympic Information System.

Marc Kennedy, after the game, “I don’t like being accused of cheating after 25 years on tour and four Olympic Games….(Eriksson) pulled a hogline official on us to make sure we weren’t double touching. The hogline official was there for six ends. Never said a thing….He’s still accusing us of cheating, and I didn’t like it…So I told him where to stick it, because we’re the wrong team to do that to….So I don’t care. He might have been upset that he was losing….I have a ton of respect for Oskar Eriksson. He’s one of the best players to ever play. And I just told him, ‘I would never do that to you. I would never accuse you of cheating.”

Oskar Eriksson, after the game, “We want a game that is as sportsmanlike, honest and clean as possible, so we call it out as soon as I see that the Canadian No. 2 is, in my eyes, there poking the stone….He drops the handle, so it gets a green light and that’s okay, but you can’t then poke it in any other part than the electronic handle and according to us, they did that….The umpires came out and it is hard to see for them. There is a sweeper sliding in the way, but for something to happen, perhaps a stone needs to be taken (off). In the rules, it says that it has to be very clear before the hogline and in our eyes, it really isn’t.”

Eriksson, on the exchange, and colorful language within, “That’s on him….I said what we’d told the umpires because we thought some of them were touching the stone, on or after the hogline, and that’s not allowed….He probably hadn’t heard it before, so he asked straight out, ‘Who is doing that in our team, then?’ and I pointed out their No. 2 and No. 3 and he got very upset, apparently.”

Eriksson, on the Game Umpires, “I can’t judge that really, but the umpires didn’t think that (it was cheating), so they must’ve been correct.”

Eriksson, on past experience with the issue, “Not really. In the world championships last year, there was a team there touching the stone quite obviously, but unfortunately no one dares to do anything about it….We hope, looking forward, that it gets better in the next competition, or that in the second half of this tournament, they (the umpires) dare to remove a stone, so that the game gets honest and everyone can play by the same rules….Curling should be a gentlemen’s sport, but perhaps it’s come to a stage of professionalism where we drift away from that as some people think it’s too important to win.”

Eriksson, when asked if this was gamesmanship, “It almost worked out, if that’s what they think I did. It was our best game so far. Then we have a shitty eighth that allows them to win the game….I’m proud of our performance until then, but it’s a poor round from us and now we’ve got our back against the wall and need to start winning matches….We need to win six straight games and we’ll see if that’s enough. That’s our goal right now.”

That is part one, now part two.

World Curling issued a statement on Saturday.

First off, World Curling reiterated that video replay is not used in umpiring games, Game Umpire decisions are final.

Game Umpires, when made aware of delivery issues, will observe delivery for three ends. The statement goes on to say that during the Friday Canada V Sweden game, during observation, there were no violations spotted.

Quoting direct from the statement here, When delivering a stone, before the hog line players can retouch the handle as many times as they wish. However, touching the handle after the hog line is not allowed and will result in the stone being removed from play as per Rule R.5 (e) that states: “A stone must be clearly released from the hand before it reaches the hog line at the delivery end. If the player fails to do so, the stone is immediately removed from play by the delivering team.”

It goes on to say that touching of the stone is not allowed, if such action takes place, the stone is removed. From the World curling rulebook, Rule R.5 (d) “The curling stone must be delivered using the handle of the stone.” Violation of this rule, will result in the stone being removed from play.

World Curling, beginning with afternoon draw Saturday, for the remainder of competition, will have Umpires at the hog lines observing deliveries.

Now to part three.

World Curling in their statement issued a verbal warning to Team Canada officals regarding “language used during the game”. World Curling deemed the conduct as inappropriate behavior, and any further behavior of the sort will result in additional sanctions, including suspension under Rule R.19.

To part four, and what happened in the Saturday afternoon draw.

In the Switzerland V Canada game, Swiss Lead Pablo Lachat-Couchepin went to Coach Glenn Howard, where he said that he saw more of the double-touch, and after approaching a Game Umpire, nothing happened. A reel of that to be posted shortly after this post goes up.

Part five, and what happened in the Women’s evening draw.

In the first end of the Women’s Canada V Switzerland Game, Rachel Homan saw one of her stones pulled by a Game Umpire for a double-touch.

Homan, after the game, “I don’t understa