Brad Jacobs responds strongly after cheating claims as Canada wins Olympic curling gold in Milan

At the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina 2026, Canada’s men’s curling team defeated Great Britain 9–6 in the gold medal match. The win gave Canada its fifth gold medal of the Games.

Soon after the final stone was thrown, talk of “cheating” started again online. Instead of ignoring it, Brad Jacobs faced it head-on. He made it clear how he felt and stood up for his teammates.The final against Great Britain was tight. Both teams traded strong shots. But when it mattered most, Canada stayed calm. Brad Jacobs, Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant, and Ben Hebert delivered under pressure and closed out the game.

With that win, Jacobs earned his second Olympic gold medal as a skip, adding to the title he won at Sochi 2014.

Brad Jacobs, Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant and Ben Hebert respond after controversy at Milano Cortina 2026

The controversy started earlier in the tournament. During a round-robin game against Sweden on February 13, Swedish player Oskar Eriksson accused Marc Kennedy of touching a stone after release. Under curling rules, that is not allowed. A short video clip spread online and raised questions.On the ice, officials did not call a violation. Later, World Curling said it would clarify rules around stone contact and add more referees at the hog line.

No penalty was given to Canada. The team moved forward and kept winning.After the gold medal victory, Brad Jacobs did not stay quiet. Speaking to Olympics.com, he said, “For anyone who called us cheaters, for anyone who said negative things about Marc Kennedy, about us, about Canada, or about our families, I hope that the image of us standing on top of the podium, embracing one another, smiling ear to ear with our gold medals, is burned into your brain forever.”He also told Olympics.com, “I knew what was on the line in that game; I knew no male skip has ever done that before. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that that was something that would happen to me. But I’ve just surrounded myself with the best people in the world in this sport, and that’s the reason why we were able to get it done.”Jacobs added, “To be at the top of the podium and have this gold medal around our necks now is the best feeling in the world.”With this victory, Jacobs became the first men’s skip to win two Olympic gold medals. Marc Kennedy and Ben Hebert also added another gold to their Olympic careers after previously winning in 2010. Despite the controversy, Canada finished on top with gold medals around their necks and a clear message to critics.