They first captured hearts in Calgary at the 1988 Winter Olympics as the underdogs with fierce dedication and drive to conquer what may have seemed like an impossible dream.
The Jamaican four-man bobsled team is back at the Olympics for the first time in 24 years.
“You bring that Jamaican flare to the games and that makes it a pretty cool event,” said Devon Harris, a member of the 1988 debut team.
“I just encourage them to enjoy the moment. It’s one of those rare moments very few of us actually get to experience in life,” he said from his home just outside New York City.
Harris said he’s been texting with some of his former teammates, admitting while it’s been a long time since he sat in a sled, there’s always excitement when the Olympic season rolls around.
This is the first time in almost 20 years that Calgary’s Lacelles Brown won’t be competing at a winter Olympic Games in bobsled.
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Brown has represented Jamaica and Canada. He said he’ll be watching both teams closely and is very proud Jamaica is back on the track.
“It’s about time. I think Jamaica has some really good athletes and putting it together and getting them back on track, it’s nice to see,” said Brown.
“If the Jamaican boys finish in the top 10, that’s an accomplishment… I’m just being realistic. If the Canadian boys finish in the top five, I know they can medal. No pressure on them but I want them to medal,” said Brown.
Jamaica’s historic run in Calgary as the first-ever bobsled team from the island nation to compete has become iconic. Despite a horrible crash that flipped them upside down soaring down the track, they became heroes at the Games for pushing on.
“As we went over, I remember thinking: ‘Wow, we are over. How embarrassing,’ that was my thought… It didn’t feel as bad as it looked,” recalled Harris.
“If you can imagine failing in front of the entire world and totally embarrassed your country, and here are those people offering that emotional support, it means a lot. It still means a lot,” said Harris, who said he holds a very special place for Calgarians in his heart.
The legacy and has stuck with the team through the decades.
Harris said it’s been only recently he’s really understood the impact his original team made on the world.
“This thing was way bigger than just four guys from Jamaica trying to bobsled. It was saying to people all over the world who had dreams that they thought maybe scary or ridiculous, it gave them permission to go and pursue those dreams.”
“They’ll never be an ’88 team,” Harris added. “I think we were special in just the way we embraced the challenge. It was hard. It had never been done before. We put the shoulder to the wheels and went.”
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