Jamaica is sending a four-man bobsled team to the Olympics for first time in 24 years
It’s time to queue up “Cool Runnings” on Disney Plus.
For the first time in more than two decades, Jamaica is sending a four-man bobsled team to the Winter Olympics.
Jamaica claimed the final spot in the 28-sled field for the Beijing Olympics, which start next month, on Monday. The country also qualified for the two-man and women’s monobob events, marking the first time Jamaica has qualified for three Olympic bobsled events in a single games.
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
It’s unclear who will actually compete for Jamaica in China, though Shanwayne Stephens has led their four-man team with Rolando Reid, Ashley Watson and Matthew Wekpe during qualifications. Jazmine Fenlator-Victorian is expected to compete in the monobob, which will be her second Olympics.
We made it 😁. @Beijing2022 here we come. 24 years since we've had a 4man crew 🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲 pic.twitter.com/k6mEdvlpXU
— Shanwayne Stephens (@jambobshan) January 17, 2022
The Caribbean island nation first qualified for the four-man bobsled at the Calgary Olympics in 1988, which inspired the Disney movie “Cool Runnings.” Jamaica sent at least one men’s sled to the next four Winter Games through 2002 and then again at the Sochi Olympics in 2014. Its best finish was a 14th-place run at Lillehammer in 1994.
Jamaica hasn’t sent a four-man team to the Olympics since the 1998 games in Nagano. It nearly sent a team to the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang, but it missed qualification by just a single spot. Fenlator-Victorian competed in South Korea in 2018, which made her the first Jamaican woman to do so.
Though some tried to link iconic Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt to the team, he quickly shut that down on Twitter.
Too cold for me Sir Lewis.
Salute to team Jamaica all day everyday 🙏🏿💫💥 https://t.co/2GCwI71Fht— Usain St. Leo Bolt (@usainbolt) January 17, 2022
Still, look for the “Hottest Thing On Ice” in China when the Beijing Olympics kick off on Feb. 3.