If confronted in the heat of competition, an athlete may genuinely believe no violation occurred. Add identity to the equation – “I am a clean competitor” – and denial becomes a psychological defence rather than deception. Under Olympic pressure, the nervous system prioritizes protection over reflection.

The most troubling aspect of the Olympic curling cheating accusations is that it could mark the official end of the hobbyist foundations of the sport.

When the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games come around every four years, there are many sports which compete to grab the attention of viewers around the world. However, there is one in particular that seems to capture the hearts and minds of many every time: curling.

The Great Falls Curling Club teaches the fundamentals of curling and will host a "Learn to Curl" event on Sunday, February 22

The curling competitions are being held in Cortina, where Sweden beat the U.S. to win the gold medal in mixed doubles. The men’s and women’s team events are in full swing, and the allegations of rule breaking has added a dash of controversy.

With the eyes of a suspicious world already glaring at his countrymen, an Olympic Athlete of Russia – labelled OAR and competing with no Russian logos, colours or flags as punishment for years of systemic state-controlled drug cheating (as methodically explained in previous issues) – got caught after winning bronze in mixed doubles curling.