CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Swiss mixed doubles pair Briar Schwaller-Huerlimann and Yannick Schwaller's family reunion at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics turned into an internet sensation after their toddler delighted fans with an impromptu curling demonstration.
After their 9-7 win over Estonia on Wednesday, television cameras captured their one-and-a-half-year-old son River wielding a curling broom twice his height and running around on the sidelines at the Cortina Olympic Curling Stadium.
Pictures of their child in his Swiss shirt emblazoned with "Schwaller" on the back quickly sparked a social media frenzy and caught the eye of curling fans, who dubbed him the 'Curling Baby'.
"I got my son after the game, cuddled him, he wanted to get down pretty quickly. He saw the curling broom, took it and held it like a rock star and threw off the whole entire show," Schwaller-Huerlimann said on Thursday.
"We didn't realize it (would go viral). Yesterday, for us, it was just really nice to see him again after the first few days, we haven't seen him since we've been here.
"So for us, it was more just enjoying the family time. We didn't realize that the cameras were there and that it would go viral and things happened, and I guess he's known as the curling baby now!"
The couple, who have been leaving River in the care of their grandmothers during the competition, said they were simply enjoying a bit of precious family time in the midst of a demanding schedule.
"It's really nice that we can experience this whole journey as a family and take on these memories for a lifetime," Schwaller-Huerlimann added.
Their son's natural flair with the broom prompted many to suggest a future in curling.
"That's too much pressure! But maybe if I play until the 2038 Games in Switzerland, he can be my sweeper," Schwaller joked.
"He's been running around a bit on the ice. The thing is, if we take him off the buggy when he watches practice, then he doesn't want to go back.
"He wants to touch the rocks and push them around and runs around on the ice!"
Following their opening win, the Swiss duo slipped to a 7-4 defeat at the hands of Americans Korey Dropkin and Cory Thiesse. They face South Korea in their third round-robin match later on Thursday.
(Reporting by Aadi NairEditing by Toby Davis)
