CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy, Feb 13 : Fans at the Winter Olympics have a habit of turning the sport of curling into a raucous affair, and the curlers at the Milano Cortina Games are not complaining.
The atmosphere at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium on Friday was electric, with a loud contingent of Italians cheering on their team throughout their win over Britain and greeting every Italian stone that hit its target with thunderous applause.
Some fans brought along vuvuzelas and renditions of Ricchi e Poveri’s song “Sara perche ti amo” broke out every few minutes, prompting organisers to put up a sign asking for the crowd to be quiet.
Yannick Schwaller, whose Swiss team beat the Czech Republic in the same session, posted on Instagram asking governing body World Curling to stop restraining fans, adding: “let them go nuts! It is what curling needs. Awesome atmosphere by the Italians.”
In a reply to the post, World Curling said it “loved the atmosphere.”
“It’s what the sport desperately needs. I hope at some point in the future, every tournament will be like this, because that’s amazing,” Schwaller said after his win.
Asked if he had trouble hearing his teammates, he replied: “Every sport has that issue, right? If the crowd is loud. You’ve got to do some signs. Sweepers have to be smarter a bit, but it’s fine. I do think that’s a luxury problem.”
SPECIAL ATMOSPHERE
Britain’s Hammy McMillan compared the scene to a football match, adding: “They’re going to be loud all week. It’s actually quite a fun atmosphere for us as curlers.
“We did see a sign go up that said, ‘Quiet, Please’. But no, for us, we actually really enjoy it. It’s something different. I think it’s what curling needs. They sound like Italian ultras!”
While some curling purists on social media have complained, Canada’s Ben Hebert said it was nothing new, pointing to the 2010 Winter Olympics when he won gold on home ice.
“That’s why the Olympics is different than every other event,” Hebert said.
“The Italy fans are cheering hard for the hometown team and it’s loud out there. But it was the same in Vancouver when we were in Vancouver as the hometown team, right?
“Steel bleachers, people stomping their feet. It was super loud and now we embrace this atmosphere. It’s really cool. A lot different than what we always play, but that’s why it’s so special to be here.”
