"Axel Brown, the pilot of Trinidad and Tobago's bobsled team, came to the Milan-Cortina Winter Games with a simple goal. "Just don't come last," he said. "We know that there is a 0% chance of us contending for medals. It doesn't matter if we have the absolute best day we've ever had. "That's just the reality of it. It's not defeatist, it's not negative. It's just being realistic.""
"But it's also realistic to believe that Trinidad, just by being in the competition, is furthering something of a revolution in the Winter Olympics in general, and in bobsledding in particular. When Jamaica debuted in the event in 1988, it was so novel it inspired the 1993 Disney movie " Cool Runnings." Now, it's no longer unusual to see a team from a tropical climate competing in the Winter Games;"
"And Brown says it's only a matter of time - and money - before others join and start contending for medals. "There's a very deep talent pool in Caribbean bobsled, one that could make a world-class bobsled program without a doubt," he said. That's because bobsled races are often won or lost at the start, where speed, explosive power and acceleration are vital in getting the 400-pound sled moving. Sprinters have all those traits."
Caribbean nations have expanded their presence at the Winter Olympics, with 11 Caribbean and South American countries plus Puerto Rico competing in Milan-Cortina. Trinidad and Tobago entered two- and four-man bobsled teams for the first time; Jamaica competed in two-man, four-man and monobob events, and Brazil also participated. Teams acknowledge slim medal chances but emphasize realistic goals and visibility. Caribbean sprinters possess the explosive power and acceleration ideal for bobsled starts, creating a deep talent pool that could produce world-class programs if funding and resources are secured.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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