WHY BOBSLEIGH TEAM DIDN’T ‘FLOP’ IN SOCHI

The headline in the Jamaica Observer declared ”US skating pair break world record, Jamaican bobsledders flop’. This was in reference to the performance of the Jamaican bobsleigh team at the Winter Olympics in Sochi. To be fair the headline reflected the content in an AFP wire story taken down for publication.

The Jamaican team comprised of Winston Watt and Marvin Dixon had excited the world when they qualified for the Olympics, bringing back memories of the team from 1988 whose story from the Olympics in Calgary inspired the aptly named movie Cool Runnings. Whoever wrote the story and the many Jamaicans who saw the team’s 29th place finish as a flop, a failure, a disappointment or as the story put it ‘the gallant Jamaican team came down to earth with a bump’, really don’t get it.

I don’t know about you but I never expected the Jamaican team to win a medal. Sure, I would have hoped they would have been more competitive but for a country where it doesn’t snow and from which there was no funding for the team prior to qualification, that they were among the 30 best two-man teams in the world, I am not going to lose sleep because they were unable to finish higher up the rankings.

To the contrary, I am very proud of the team. From the way they had the world rally round to raise almost US$200,000 that was used to get them to Sochi and provide them with well-needed new runners and refund Watts who funded the preparation of out his own pocket, to the way the world responded when they got the Sochi, was invaluable to this country.

Prior to the start of the Winter Games, the mere fact that the Jamaicans were on the verge of qualifying made headlines around the world. ’60 Minutes’, the well-respected investigative news magazine show on American network CBS carried a feature on the team, so did networks in Canada, and in the United Kingdom. Just by their mere presence, the bobsleigh team gave Jamaica brand recognition this country could never pay for.

Once Watts, Dixon and their support staff got into Sochi, the coverage only intensified. The fact that their luggage got lost made international headlines, television networks used the Jamaican team to promote and market their coverage of the games. I was astounded by how NBC used images of the bobsleigh team to promote their coverage of the competition once it was about to start and every time when the bobsleigh competition was on, the Jamaicans were always mentioned.

When the team was about to take the track, the excitement in the crowd intensified. You could literally feel it through the television screen. It was that palpable. Yes, their times, when compared to the others, were not as impressive but they finished every run and their last run was their fastest one. They were perhaps sending a subtle signal that next time around they could be even better. It could leave the world wondering what Jamaica will come with next.

The buzz will eventually subside but Sochi owes a debt of gratitude to the Jamaican bobsleigh team for bringing even greater audiences than they would have anticipated. Look, the team even made us want to watch the Olympics where there was no Bolt or Shelly. I had to laugh when people started cursing Sportsmaxx for buying the rights to show the games here in the Caribbean. Had the Jamaican team not been there would they have cared?

No guys, the Jamaicans didn’t flop in Sochi. They shone.

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20 Responses to “WHY BOBSLEIGH TEAM DIDN’T ‘FLOP’ IN SOCHI”

Ms. Graeness says:

February 21, 2014 at 4:15 pm

Well said!! I believe the Jamaican Bobsleigh Team will become a force to be reckoned with all in good time; what we now need is (the greater) support from our corporate community, and others, together with the unconditional backing of our people.
YardieD says:

February 22, 2014 at 5:18 am

An American friend asked me today what make us such great & special people after reeling off such accomplishments like dominating track & field, our music, bobsledding yet no snow, mostly accomplished Jamaicans he has met here in the US & just general admiration of our people internationally? I really didn’t know what to tell him but boiled it down to our upbringing. We do really strive for greatness beyond our expected capacity in spite of our leaders incompetence. If it wasn’t for them impeding our peoples progress we would truly be the great nation we have the potential to be.
Vergil Gayle says:

February 22, 2014 at 7:14 am

Well said sir. And well done Winston, Marvin and all those who aided and abetted them. They, the Jamaica Bobsled Team, deserve the praise and commendation they are getting.
It seems, amongst other things, that some persons do not understand journalism as to critically examine the facts and come to a view free of prejudice. The Jamaica Observer appears not to have realised that Jamaica is an independent country, peopled by outstanding talents – from all walks of life – and that they should be careful of slavish propaganda.
Amy Rodriques says:

February 22, 2014 at 2:03 pm

So Jamaica and Great Britain failed to qualify for the 4th and final run of the 2-man Bobsleigh team in the Winter Olympics being held in Sochi. So what….(Kudos to Winston Watts, who at age 46 took on this ….more like a personal challenge)….Jamaica is a TROPICAL country; we have lots of sunshine and nuff rain….but NO SNOW. For our men, who live in hot, hot Jamaica to journey to cold, cold Sochi, Russia to compete in Winter Olympics, that is just AWESOME!!!
The guys from Great Britain are happy that they “beat us” but ah dem get beaten ‘cause dem live in a country where there is WINTER. Our Bobsleigh team members live in a country where it is SUMMER all year round. So congratulations or “BIG-UP” to our entire Jamaica Bobsleigh team.

http://newsfeed.time.com/2014/02/16/jamaican-bobsled-team-theme-song/
STRETCH says:

February 22, 2014 at 2:25 pm

WELL SAID WELL WRITTEN DONT FORGET THE TURN COAT THAT WENT TO CANADA GREAT JAMAICA BOB SLED TEAM
Everton Watson says:

February 22, 2014 at 5:37 pm

Well done Jamaica even though you finished 29th the island was well represented, we need to get more involved in Winter Sports despite no winter in the island. That’s what make the Jamaican Bobsled team so exciting. BRAVO!!!!!!!
Chiniquy says:

February 23, 2014 at 11:36 am

Excellent article, I concur.
Keeping It Really Real says:

February 24, 2014 at 12:13 am

Sure the team must be congratulated for even making it to the competition. However, it is time that we understand that the “Cinderella” story can’t last forever. We first entered in 1988, a full 26 years ago, yet we are still in here talking about “wait until the next Olympics to see what we can do”. The fact of the matter is Jamaica is at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to the Winter Olympics, so merely turning up to say we were there has gotten old.
jacknett says:

February 24, 2014 at 7:26 am

So …… you all say how proud you are of your athletes —- how come the two men were stuck in Frankfurt, Germany for 2 days while the rest celebrated in London???? SHAME !!!!
Niecey says:

February 24, 2014 at 7:50 am

I totally agree, for the team to have been in Sochi was a huge accomplishment. Nuff respect to the team.
Vernon Spencer says:

February 24, 2014 at 8:14 am

While observing the competition in the bobsled and similar events I am convinced that our team did very well and should be commended for their courage and performance. However it would be a very good idea if our Engineering/Technical college would partner with one of the major car manufacturer distributing in Jamaica, to improve the design of the two athlete and four athlete competitive vehicles.
While we examine the starting data for the winning teams then determine the requirements of the athletes, so that more of our athletes can be guided/selected for this sport.
Robert Steele says:

February 24, 2014 at 11:40 am

Well said sir .we r well represented all over the world.so proud
Dushane Perry says:

February 24, 2014 at 3:43 pm

Mi rate this!
Ricky says:

February 25, 2014 at 12:43 pm

I am Trini, and proud of the accomplishments of the Jamaican team, imagine if they had more resources to be better prepared.
Lorna says:

February 25, 2014 at 10:07 pm

I love this article. Well said!
mike mcfarlane says:

March 2, 2014 at 1:11 am

I remember the days of the west indies cricket team and the whitewash in Australia. some would have had us quit cricket after that beating but we soldiered on. Then we began to hand out the beatings and apart from maybe clive lloyd, no one saw that coming.

The essence of bobsled dominance lies in the start and the skill of the pilot. Our sprint skills offers us the potential for a good start; alas we do not have enough pilots and we don’t start at an early enough age. Additionally, throwing money at a first-class sled wouldn’t hurt either.

Of course some of my short-sighted countrymen don’t realize how valuable the free publicity is to the Jamaica. Can you imagine the furore if we had ended up in say, fifteenth place. Some of the doomsayers should throw their energy into lobbying the ministry of tourism to invest in our bobsled team. That would make a lot more sense than saying we don’t have snow so we shouldn’t compete.

Where do you suppose we would be now if men like Paul Bogle and Marcus Garvey had taken such sage advice? We are one of the few countries on earth who dare to fight against all odds. When it was okay to turn a blind eye to apartheid we were the first country to condemn it. Don’t any of you dare tell me we can’t do what we set our minds to.

What next? We shouldn’t have olympic medals in swimming and cycling because it isn’t our type of sport? Our cousin in St. Vincent shouldn’t have a 400 metres olympic medal because his country’s entire population could fit in Wembley stadium? Give me a break!
Keeping It Really Real says:

March 11, 2014 at 7:21 pm

Calm down first and you may actually separate reality from fantasy and come up with more analogous comparisons. Additionally, Kirani James, the reigning Olympic 400M champion, is from Grenada and not St. Vincent.

You cannot compare cricket to bobsleighing, when citing the meteoric rise of the Windies under Lloyd’s captaincy after the trashing it received Down Under in 1975. Until we start manufacturing snow and ice in Jamaica to properly and CONSITENTLY prepare the bobsleigh team(s), it is unlikely that JA will “succeed” beyond the novelty of a “Cool Runnings” participation in the Winter Olympics.
bobby says:

March 13, 2014 at 3:29 pm

Stupid comments about not having snow so we cant compete. All is needed is jamaicans to help with sponsorship so the team or teams can train in a country that has snow. Stop berating these men gallant effort.You can succeed at anything you put your mind to.
Frankie says:

March 13, 2014 at 4:11 pm

Regardless of outcome any Jamaican team that qualify for the winter olympics is a success.
herb says:

March 14, 2014 at 11:18 am

jamaica not only flop they flop miserably, for more than 20 years jamaica have been going to the winter games with 0 medal evry they slide into last place, jamaica still metuslah a man mor than 40 years old on the team,how fast can this guy run ,one of the key to winning is to have fast spriters on the team,did jamaica notice that the american pull fast sprinters from track and field team with no experience in bobleighing and win a medal,whil jamaica is sliding into last place,20 years no improvement it,s about time some head roll for poor performance,replace the whole tem include the coach with new blood and go to the winter games and make jamaica proud.