Sound The Alarm! We've Got A Curling Controversy, And The Olympics Aren't Even Going On Right Now

Next year marks the start of the 2026 Winter Olympics which means I fully expect people to get bit by the curling bug as they do every four years.

However, the sport doesn't cease to exist outside of those two weeks for the Olympics, and right now, there's a bit of controversy.

I was scrolling through X over the weekend when I saw a post from CBC reporter Devin Heroux, and he was talking about "multiple reports of China burning rocks intentionally" during the World Men's Curling Championships.

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What does that mean? Why did this show up in my feed in the first place?

I had no clue, but I needed to know.

Now, I'll admit, I'm not super well-versed in the art of curling. I just kind of saw a dude slide across the ice in a position that looks like it'd be very easy to pull a groin in, release the rock, and then two other dudes start sweeping the ice like their lives depended on it.

But, obviously, there is a ton of nuance to it, and "burning" is a curling term that means hitting the rock with your broom. From my understanding, this is typically unintentional.

If you look at the video again, it sure looks like one of the Chinese players used his broom to slightly change the direction of that stone.

That's a big no-no, but apparently, that was happening all tournament long. The incident in that video happened against Switzerland and there was another instance of it against Norway.

The Chinese team eventually lost in the semifinals, which meant that they faced the Canadians in the bronze medal game in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

According to TSN, the Canadians were prepared for any funny business and were taping some of the Chinese team's big shots just in case.

But in the end, this one was all Canada, which took the bronze with an 11-2 win.