Does Jamaica have a bobsleigh team at the Winter Olympics? Is country competing in Beijing 2022 Olympic Games

The Winter Olympics has officially begun, with sports teams from across the globe competing for a medal in the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing.

The competition will feature a range of winter sports, including skiing, snowboarding and bobsleighing.

But does Jamaica have a bobsleigh team in the 2022 Olympics?

Here’s what you need to know.

Does Jamaica have a bobsleigh team at the Winter Olympics?

Yes, Jamaica has a four-man bobsleigh team in the 2022 Winter Olympics, competing in this category for the first time in 24 years.

Although Jamaica has competed in the two-person bobsled race for many past Olympic Games, their last four-man qualification was in 1998.

The 1988 team at the Calgary Winter Olympics, which was Jamaica’s first qualifying team, inspired the iconic film Cool Runnings.

Pilot Shanwayne Stephens will be leading the four-man competition at the 2022 Games, as well as the two-man race this year.

This will also be the first time that Jamaica has qualified for three Olympics bobsled events, these being the four-man, two-man, and one-woman monobob. The one-woman monobob is a new event for the Games.

The team is hoping to become the best Jamaican bobsled team in history by beating the highest placement of 14th place, which was set by the country in 1994.

Jamaica has also qualified for Alpine skiing for the first time, the competition in which flag-bearer and former DJ Benjamin Alexander will be trying for a medal this year.

A video of the bobsleigh team at the opening ceremony was posted on the official Team Jamaica Twitter account, with the caption: “Fire on ice! #TeamJamaica#GuhHaadAndDone #Beijing2022.”

When are the Winter Olympics taking place?

The opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics took place on Friday 4 February 2022, but the Games began two days prior to this on Wednesday 2 February. The event will run until 20 February and concludes with the closing ceremony.

Which venues are being used for the Winter Olympics?

The Chinese capital of Beijing is the official host city, but the event will be spread across other venues, including the mountainous district of Yanqing, located 75km northwest of Beijing.

The skiing and snowboarding destination of Zhangjiakou will also be used, which is a further 100km beyond Yanqing.

All three of the venues are connected by a newly built intercity railway, but they also boast their own Olympic village.

The Beijing National Stadium, also referred to as The Bird’s Nest, will be hosting both the opening and closing ceremonies.

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