WASHINGTON — The inspiration for a new “Cool Runnings” movie might be around the corner, with Jamaica qualifying a four-man bobsled team in the Olympics for the first time in more than two decades.
Jamaica will race in the four-man, two-man and women’s monobob at the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing.
It’s the first time in the Games’ history that Jamaica has qualified for three bobsled events.
The Jamaican team’s Twitter account posted the news Monday, promising “fire on ice” at the 2022 competition.
The tropical island country hasn’t had a four-man team compete at the Olympics in 24 years, after a disappointing near miss to qualify for the Pyeongchang Olympics in 2018.
This time around, Jamaica made the final spot in the 28-sled roster and will compete against heavy-hitters such as Germany, Canada, Austria, Switzerland and the United States.
The four-man team for the Olympics hasn’t been confirmed yet, but according to Olympic organizers, Shanwayne Stephens has been piloting the sled with Rolando Reid, Ashley Watson and Matthew Wekpe acting as the push athletes.
This is the first year the women’s monobob is being included in the Olympics, and Jamaica’s Jazmine Fenlator-Victorian is expected to compete in the event at her second Olympic Games.
Jamaica first competed in bobsled at the 1988 Olympic Games, which inspired the film “Cool Runnings.” Since then, the tropical country had at least one men’s sled at eight straight Olympic games and also qualified for Sochi 2024.
But this year will be the first time Jamaica has sent a four-man team since the 1998 games.
The team has also launched a Kickstarter to help fund the purchase of new bobsleds they can use for the event.
“A 4-man off-the-shelf can cost $140,000 and it doesn’t even have an engine,” the team wrote. “But this is what we need to win, and we want you to help us to do so.”
The Kickstarter has so far raised just over $4,000 of it’s $194,000 goal.
The 2022 Olympic Games will begin in Beijing on Feb. 4, and will run through Feb. 20.