JAMAICA BOBSLED TEAM ON ITS WAY TO BEIJING

For the first time in 24 years, the island nation of Jamaica will have a four-man bobsled team competing at the Winter Olympics.

And if that isn’t enough to conjure up memories of Disney’s “Cool Runnings” movie, then nothing will.

Jamaica first made its debut as a bobsled competing nation at the Calgary Olympics back in 1988. Although the four-man team failed to finish at the event due to an accident, their story inspired the hit movie and gained a massive following for the winter sport.

Coming in at number 28 out of a possible 28 places, the four-man team managed to qualify.

The four-man bobsled team will be joined by a two-man bobsled team as well as a women’s monobob. The women’s monobob is a new Olympic event.

Jamaica has not only managed to qualify for the bobsled event, but this year marks the first time that the country will have an entry to the Alpine skiing event as well.

Benjamin Alexander is only the second Jamaican in history to compete at the Winter Olympics, and the first in Alpine skiing, according to the Jamaica Olympic Association, reports ABC News.

The Beijing Games will start on 4 February and end on 20 February. That is if everything goes to plan, and the pandemic doesn’t interfere.

Image credit: Al Jazeera