A piece of history from a Calgary 1988 Winter Olympics event that inspired a Hollywood blockbuster will soon be available to the public, as part of a massive Olympic Memorabilia auction.
In 1988, the first-ever bobsled team from Jamaica competed at the Calgary Olympics, but the team’s quest to the podium was cut short after losing control of the sled and crashing during their final qualifier.
One of the yellow helmets worn during that famous crash is being put up for auction.
“This was the helmet Dudley Stokes wore during the Olympics and bears the scratch marks from the famous crash when he could not get his head and helmet back in the sled,” Alan Howat, the 1988 Jamaican team captain and manager, wrote in a letter that accompanies the sale.
The helmet has scuffs and abrasions from the sled’s prolonged and violent skid down Canada Olympic Park’s bobsleigh track, where Stokes lost control of the sled at 136 km/h (85 mph). Bidding on the helmet is expected to start at US$3,500.
Watch Below: The story of the team’s journey to Calgary and video of the famous crash.
The novelty of a tropical country competing in a cold-weather sport made the underdog team immensely popular at the Calgary Olympics, and inspired the 1993 Disney movie Cool Runnings, which is loosely based upon the real events. A sweater worn by TV anchors in the movie will also be auctioned off.
An unused, official 1988 Calgary Olympics torch and a rare miner’s lamp will also be auctioned off. The lamp was used during the torch relay to carry the “Mother Flame.”
The Mother Flame was originally lit in Greece during the start of the torch relay, and was used to transport and re-light the torch during the cross-Canada relay. RR Auctions said only a few carriers exist from the relay, and the only other confirmed example is housed in a Calgary gallery.
Bidding on the torch and lantern is expected to start at US$50,000.
The Olympic Memorabilia auction from RR Auction contains a total of 296 lots from dozens of Olympic games dating back to the 1800s, including: 44 participation medals, 19 winners’ medals and 31 torches. Bidding for the online auction will begin on July 14 and will conclude on July 21.
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