Jamaica's Bobsled Team Returns for 10th Winter Olympics

The green, black, and yellow flag is flying high in the Italian Alps as Jamaica's bobsled team makes history once again.

Jamaica is competing in both men's and women's bobsled events at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, marking the Caribbean nation's tenth appearance since that unforgettable debut in Calgary back in 1988. The journey that started with a street cart race has become one of the most inspiring stories in Olympic history.

The 2026 roster includes Mica Moore competing in the women's monobob, while the men's events feature two crews led by driver Shane Pitter. The four-man team includes Andrae Dacres, Junior Harris, and Tyquendo Tracey, continuing a legacy that began with an unlikely dream.

That dream started with George Fitch, a US Embassy official in Kingston who watched a traditional downhill cart race and had a brilliant idea. He believed Jamaica's world-class sprinting speed could translate to winter sports. Some thought he was crazy to recruit army athletes and Olympic track hopefuls for a sport most Jamaicans had never seen.

The original 1988 team practiced explosive starts using improvised street carts on Jamaican roads before heading to training facilities in the United States and Austria. Driver Dudley Stokes, brakeman Michael White, and push athletes Devon Harris and Chris Stokes faced countless challenges, but their determination caught the attention of the international federation.

Their Calgary debut ended with a dramatic crash during the four-man event, but the moment captured hearts worldwide. The Disney film Cool Runnings turned their story into a cultural phenomenon, though the movie took creative liberties with the facts.

The Ripple Effect

Jamaica's best Olympic result remains a 14th-place finish at Lillehammer 1994, but their impact reaches far beyond medals. The team showed other warm-weather nations like Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Brazil that winter sports weren't just for snowy countries. Their courage opened doors and changed minds about who belongs on Olympic ice.

The addition of women's monobob to the Olympic program has given Jamaica's bobsled program new opportunities for growth and development. What started as one team's wild idea has become a structured, long-term national sports program that continues inspiring athletes nearly four decades later.

From street carts in Kingston to the world's biggest sporting stage, Jamaica's bobsled team proves that determination and speed can melt any barrier.