Jamaica inspires: "Try something new, have some fun with it."

Team Jamaica may have finished last in both men's bobsleigh events but they succeeded in what they set out to do, says driver Shanwayne Stephens.

They finished 30th in the two-man bobsleigh and 28th in the four-man at Beijing 2022, 34 years after Jamaica's bobsleigh pioneers competed at Calgary 1988.

That in turn inspired 'Cool Runnings', the Hollywood film loosely based on their journey and whose legacy lives on today.

Stephens, who piloted both the two-man and four-man bobsleigh, told Olympics.com, "A big part of us being here is just to show people that you can achieve anything that you want to achieve if you just put your mind to it and go out there and do it.

"Winning a medal isn't there for us, not yet, not right now, but that doesn't mean it's not going to be.

Jamaica excited for the future

Stephens competed in the two-man bobsleigh with former sprinter Nimroy Turgott and the pair employed some novel training drills during the Covid-19 pandemic.

With no access to gyms during lockdown, they pushed Stephens' fiance's Mini around the streets of Peterborough as well as building weights equipment in his back garden.

Other crew members made big changes too with Rolando Reid quitting his job as a teacher and Ashley Watson, a qualified sports therapist and physio, shutting his business down.

Given their travails before they reached China, Stephens believes their performances at the Yanqing National Sliding Centre provide a framework for further development.

“If we can qualify for this Games having met for the first time in September last year, imagine what we can do the next four years with a proper programme and proper funding," he said after Heat 3 of the four-man on Saturday (19 February).

"We're excited for the future. We're excited for what's about to come. We just can't wait to get there, put in another fantastic performance and then look forward to the next four years building our programme.”

No regrets for Reid

Team Jamaica athletes Matthew Wekpe, Turgott, Watson and Reid have sporting backgrounds ranging from athletics to rugby to weightlifting, while Stephens came to bobsleigh through his time in the Royal Air Force.

Wekpe, who took up bobsleigh in 2020, carries around a lucky egg just as the character Sanka Coffie did in 'Cool Runnings'.

Reid has no regrets about giving up his job in teaching to prepare for Beijing, telling 7news.com.au: “I knew what it was going to take to get here so I just give it my all.

“All the boys have been backing me all season, along with all the support staff. We’re at the Olympics, we’re representing the nation, representing the world. It’s a great feeling to be out here.”

Fenlator-Victoria flies the flag for Jamaica's women

Jazmine Fenlator-Victorian was the only woman on Team Jamaica at Beijing 2022.

She finished 19th in the women's monobob at her third Olympic Winter Games, eight years after her debut at Sochi 2014 where she was 10th in the two-woman bobsleigh.

The 36-year-old was 18th in the two-woman bob at PyeongChang 2018 and will now retire after a career which saw her reach sixth at the 2015 World Championships in Winterberg, Germany.

Stephens: Go out, try something new and have fun

The final word goes to Stephens who hopes that their participation can inspire others to try something different.

He said: “If you want to do something, just go out there and try it, you can achieve it. Just have a go, you never know if you’re going to be good at something if you don’t have a go at it.

“I can literally speak for all of us when I say we never thought we’d be bobsledders. Ever.

“It was literally by chance that we all got into the sport of bobsleigh. If we didn’t get that chance then we wouldn’t be here today.