CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy - Marc Kennedy finds himself at the center of curling's latest buzz, but what truly matters is his return to the pinnacle as an Olympic champion.
In a thrilling gold-medal match at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, Kennedy and Team Brad Jacobs outlasted Great Britain’s Bruce Mouat with a 9-6 victory. The game reached its crescendo in the ninth end when Jacobs delivered a decisive three-point score, pushing Canada ahead 8-6.
The celebration was pure joy as Team Jacobs embraced and shared the moment with their fans, scaling a wall to soak in the cheers. Meanwhile, Mouat, visibly moved, shared heartfelt moments with his teammates.
The atmosphere was electric, fueled by a spirited Scottish crowd serenading Team Mouat. Britain made an early statement with a double in the second end, but Jacobs countered in the third, executing a brilliant takeout to score two. Canada then forced Britain to settle for a single in the fourth.
In the fifth, Kennedy and Jacobs showcased their precision with a series of double takeouts, though they couldn't quite blank the end, leaving it 4-3 at the halfway mark.
Mouat responded with a spectacular double takeout in the sixth, regaining the lead. Canada's strategy to blank the seventh and control the hammer in the tenth nearly unraveled, but Jacobs' skillful bump shot put the pressure back on Mouat, who expertly held Canada to one.
The eighth saw Canada limit Britain to a single, setting the stage for a dramatic ninth. Jacobs' final hammer delivered three crucial points, giving Canada a two-point cushion. A strategic steal in the tenth sealed the victory for Team Jacobs.
Amidst the triumph, Kennedy's earlier altercation with Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson grabbed headlines. Accused of touching a stone post-release, Kennedy's emphatic response sparked debate.
While some saw interference, seasoned curlers downplayed its impact on the stone's trajectory. Kennedy apologized for his language, maintaining that any contact was unintentional, while the Canadians also questioned Sweden's hogline recording, a claim the Swedish broadcaster SVT disputed.
In the end, Kennedy and Team Jacobs' performance on the ice spoke louder than any controversy, etching their names in Olympic history once more.