Jamaican Bobsled Team Needs $80,000 To Compete: ‘Right Now, We’re At Zero’

The Jamaican bobsled team hasn’t made it to the winter Olympics since 2002. The organizers of the event said that the Jamaican team has qualified for the two-man competition to take place next month in Sochi, Russia.

The issue is that the Jamaican bobsled team needs some serious cash – and fast – if they want to make it to the games. Team member Winston Watts told the AP that, within the next two weeks, they need around $80,000 to cover equipment and travel expenses if they are to have any chance of attending

Watts said that, unfortunately: “Right now. we’re at zero.”

The Jamaican bobsled story is an interesting one, as Jamaica has no snow and little connection to the world of bobsled, which is more popular in colder countries. Their plight was highlighted in the film Cool Runnings following their appearance at the 1988 Calgary games.

Watts spoke about his team’s chances at the Sochi games: “We’re pretty good. We’re not there with the rest of the world, of course. But we if had some more sources for funding, we’d have a better chance.”

He was planning to have a four-man Jamaican bobsled team represented at the games, but that option is too expensive. Instead he opted for the two-man option, and just about racked up enough points to qualify.

Watts said he feels confident that the Jamaican bobsled team could do well in Sochi: “I’m not a person who likes to quit. I put my heart into it and I know for a fact that people are going to help this team,” he said.

Nevertheless, $80,000 is a lot of money, and if Watts and his teammates fail to raise the cash, the Jamaican bobsled team won’t be competing at the games In Sochi.