Feb 8
The Jamaica National Bobsled Team’s 1994 Placement
Photographer: John Gichigi
The 1993 film Cool Runnings heavily fictionalized much of the beginning of the story, but it is true that during their debut at the 1988 Calgary Games, the Jamaican bobsled team became a great favorite; a team from a tropical climate competing in the Winter Olympics sounded improbable, but they gave it their all. They ultimately didn’t place that year, due to losing control and crashing during the qualifiers; they also didn’t perform well at the 1992 Olympics. But in 1994, they were back — and during the Lillehammer Games, they placed 14th, defeating not only expectations, but also the American, Russian, Australian, and French teams.
