World’s Most Unlikely Bobsled Team Makes a Comeback
The tiny Caribbean island nation of Jamaica has qualified a four-man bobsled team for the 2022 Beijing Olympics. It’s the first time in over twenty years. For a country that doesn’t experience cold weather, this is quite the achievement.
But this time around, its thrice as nice as the team will compete in the four-man sled, two-man sled, and the woman’s monobob according to an official Olympics news release. The team is making history again, just like it did when Jamaica entered its first winter game in Calgary, Canada in 1988.
BREAKING:
JAMAICA, WE HAVE A BOBSLED TEAM HEADING TO BEIJING! ????
It will be fire on ice as #TeamJamaica ???????? secured their spot at the 2022 Beijing #WinterOlympics. This will be the 1st time JAM has qualified in 3 Olympic bobsled events: four-man, two-man and women’s monobob pic.twitter.com/hRd5h7lDlG
— Team Jamaica (@TeamJA876) January 17, 2022
The legacy of Cool Runnings
The legend of the original four-man bobsled team was the subject of the 1993 Disney movie Cool Runnings. But that was a fictionalized amount of what actually happened according to Business Insider.
The idea of forming a bob-sled team came from a local pushcart derby. Two Americans thought it looked very similar to a bobsled and brought the idea to the country’s Olympic association.
The four-man team, Devon Harris, Dudley Stokes, Michael White, Freddy Powell, and last-minute replacement Chris Stokes were recruited from the army to learn the sport. Coaches were recruited from the US and the men trained in New York.
The team competed using borrowed equipment that fell apart and there were injuries after numerous crashes. But the team was not trapped underneath the sled as depicted in the movie, and they did not carry it to the finish line. But it was still just as inspirational in real life.
Fast forward to today
Now, the Jamaican team certainly earned its spot amongst the 28 four-man teams due to its impressive results in international competitions reported TODAY. While the roster has not been announced at press time, it will definitely be piloted by Shanwayne Stephens.
Jazmine Fenlator-Victorian is expected to represent Jamaica in the women’s monobob. It will be her second Olympic appearance.
Even though the teams are competing against the US, Canada, Germany, Austria, and other countries that excel at winter sports, the Jamaican team is up for the challenge.
“It will be fire on ice as Team Jamaica ???????? secured their spot at the 2022 Beijing #WinterOlympics,” Team Jamaica wrote on social media. This will be an exciting Olympics for all.
