Jamaica national bobsled team
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The Jamaican Bobsled Team first gained fame during their debut in the 1988 Winter Olympic Games in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are also well known from their portrayal in the 1993 film Cool Runnings, based on their exploits in the Winter Olympics.
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[edit] Origins
Two Americans were largely responsible for the founding of the Jamaican Bobsled Team. George B. Fitch and William Maloney had family and business ties to Jamaica and after witnessing a pushcart derby they realized that it was very similar to bobsledding.[1]
Since bobsledding requires a fast start, Maloney and Fitch decided to use sprinters, who are plentiful on the island nation of Jamaica. They originally tried to recruit Olympic-class sprinters, but no one was interested, so they presented their idea to Colonel Ken Barnes of the Jamaican military.
The first five members of the Jamaican bobsled team were:
- Devon Harris, a lieutenant in the Second Battalion, Jamaican Army
- Dudley Stokes, a captain from the JDF Air Wing
- Aiden Van de Mortel, a pilot
- Michael White, a private in the National Reserves
- Samuel Clayton, a railway engineer
They were coached by New York native Howard Siler, of Malone, New York.
[edit] Olympics
The Jamaican four man Bobsled team debuted at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta. There they became a fan favorite due to the novelty of having such a warm country compete in a cold-weather sport. They did not finish because they lost control of the sled and crashed during one of their four runs. However, they showed significant improvement throughout the games and impressed observers with some fast starts. After crashing, they famously got out of their sled and walked with it to the finish line to great applause.[2] This team was the inspiration for a major motion picture, Cool Runnings featuring John Candy as the team's coach. The characters in the film are all fictional.
The team returned to the Olympics in the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, but finished poorly.[3][4] They qualified again for the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. There, the Jamaican four sled stunned many of their critics by finishing in 14th place, ahead of the United States, Russia, France and Italy.[5]
In 2000 the Jamaicans won the Gold medal at the World Push Bobsled Championships.
The Jamaican Bobsled Team failed to qualify for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy.
The Jamaicans plan on having a bobsled team for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia.
[edit] Current Jamaican Bobsled lineup
In subsequent years after their initial success, the Jamaican Bobsled Team consisted of:
| Position | Teamate |
|---|---|
| Captain/Driver | Winston Watt |
| Braker | Thomas Wayne |
| Clive McDonald | |
| Skeleton | Ricky Simms |
| Manager | Stephen Fisher |
The current team which is currently on track for qualification for the 2010 Winter Olympics to be held in Vancouver, Canada consists of[6]
| Position | Teamate |
|---|---|
| Pusher | Marvin Dixon |
| Driver | Hannukah Wallace |
| Braker | Joel Alexander |
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
- Jamaicans.com
- Official Website for the Jamaican Bobsled Team
- Jamaica Bobsleigh Federation
- Video Interview With Devon Harris
- Jamaican bobsled team new home Pemberton
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