Fans at the Winter Olympics have a habit of turning the sport of curling into a raucous affair, and the curlers at the Milan 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 popular Italian song by Ricchi e Poveri "Sara perche ti amo" broke out every few minutes, prompting organizers 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 World Curling, the sport's governing body, 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 soccer 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."
Team USA mixed doubles curler Korey Dropkin, who along with his partner Corey Thiesse took won the silver medal earlier this week, told NBC this week the lively crowd helped make his first Olympic experience even more special.
“This week we got to have a privilege of playing in front of a huge crowd," Dropkin said. "All of our family and friends that showed up here to support us, but also all the families and friends of the other athletes around the world that were competing here and making this event so special. Hearing the rowdiness of the crowd of all the different countries really made a huge impact on how special this week was for us. It’s a fun environment out there when the crowds are full."