JAMAICA’S two-man bobsleigh team, led by Shanwayne Stephens, will start its Olympic quest this morning at 7:05 am (Jamaica time) at Yanqing National Sliding Centre in Beijing, China.

They will be the third Jamaican representatives to take part in the Winter Games following Jazmine Finlator-Victorian in the monobob and Alpine skier Benjamin Alexander who started competing on Saturday night, Jamaica time.

There will be two two-men sleds from the Caribbean, with Trinidad and Tobago also taking part in the event.

The Jamaican team has had mixed results in their six practice runs over three days, going as fast as 1 minute 01.10 seconds and as slow as 1:01.83 minutes, falling between the 24th and 30th places out of the 30 sleds taking part.

The slowest two runs came on the final day of practice but Mark Silva, technical director of the Jamaica Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (JBSF), was confident the team would give of its best at the Games despite the shortened period of preparation.

“COVID hasn’t helped,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

“You would usually have four years to build and prepare as a team. We have had one year where qualification was our goal (I wanted all four teams), and you have to believe.”

The Jamaican team was denied the services of physiotherapist Dr Jo Browne, who had travelled with the team throughout the qualifying period but was not accredited by the Jamaica Olympic Association.

“On the ground out here lack of physio is going to effect performance, without a doubt; it was why we took one with us all season. Things are now trying to be done however, it’s too late in my opinion. Rehab and prehab are key to elite performance.”

— Paul A Reid