CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Canadian men's curling team overcame allegations of cheating to win the men's curling gold medal after defeating Britain 9-6 at the Milan-Cortina Winter Games on Saturday.

Ben Hebert (C) of Canada competes during the curling men's gold medal game between Canada and Britain at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in Cortina, Italy, Feb. 21, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

In a tightly contested encounter, the two sides exchanged narrow leads, with neither team holding more than a one-point advantage through the first eight ends. Canadian skip Brad Jacobs and his teammates seized control in the ninth end with a crucial three-point score, then added a steal of one in the 10th to seal the title.

The victory marked Jacobs' second Olympic gold medal, having previously guided Canada to triumph at the Sochi 2014 Winter Games.

"I'm glad it's over and we won. It's a huge relief," Jacobs said. "It's been a tough couple of weeks. We went through a lot, but we persevered. I'm a big believer in the curling gods, and maybe this one was meant to be."

Reflecting on the match, Jacobs said that patience proved decisive.

"We didn't start at our absolute best, but in big games you just try to keep it close and avoid mistakes. You keep making your shots and give yourself a chance late," he said.

"In the ninth and tenth ends, things finally went our way, and we were able to finish it."

During the tournament, the Canadian team faced accusations of double-touching the rock, a violation of curling rules, which sparked debates. Oskar Eriksson of Sweden accused Marc Kennedy of breaching the rules, leading to heated exchanges and a subsequent loss to Switzerland.

Earlier in the day, Canada also secured a bronze medal in the women's competition, defeating the United States 10-7.

Canadian skip Rachel Homan expressed pride in her team's resilience. "I'm really proud of our week and our fight. We never gave up right to the end. When things were hard, we leaned on each other and stayed united. I'm proud of everything we put out there."

Sweden will face Switzerland in the women's final on Sunday.

Players of Canada celebrate after the curling men's gold medal game between Canada and Britain at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in Cortina, Italy, Feb. 21, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua)