The Source |Jamaica Returns to Winter Olympics with Real Life “Cool Runnings”

The Winter Olympics for the 2022 season begins this weekend and after a 24 year hiatus, the Jamaican bobsled team is slated to make appearance. Jamaica who is who else well-known for their dominance in the summer Olympics, with participants in just about every track event, it is an extreme rarity to see them partake in the any of the Winter Olympics events given there year round warm climate. However this is not the first time that Jamaica has competed in the bobsled event. The first team came in 1988 in which Jamaica’s historic run was later adapted into a Disney film titled “Cool Runnings” . 

Much like the team of 1988, this years team has had their own hurdles that they have overcome. The team currently does not own their own bobsled, and has had to use fund raising methods like GoFundMe with hope that they will be able to afford one, one day. As of now they are currently using a rental, to practice in. Another tie back to the team of 1988 is that they have enlisted the original driver, Tal Stokes, to help as their push coach. 

With the team comprised Shanwayne Stephens, Rolando Reid, Ashley Watson, and Mathew Wekpe, the hopes are high for the team. This will mark for the second time in more recent years that Jamaica has competed in a bobsled event. In 2018 Jamaica had sent Jazmine Fenlator-Victorian and Carrie Russell who made their debut in a two women crew. Joining Jamaica as Tropic countries making debuts, we will see the Netherlands Antilles and the Virgin Islands in the two man bobsled event. Other winter sports attendees from team Jamaica, as seen during the opening ceremony,  they will also feature an alpine skier and a women’s monobob athlete. While the winter sports weren’t  classically Jamaica’s specialty, they are aiming to create a ripple effect in this year’s Olympics.