The Outlook Podcast Archive - The dramatic journey of Jamaica’s first Olympic bobsleigh

Download The dramatic journey of Jamaica’s first Olympic bobsleigh

The comedy film classic Cool Runnings, about a Jamaican bobsleigh team's surprising efforts to get to the Winter Olympics, was inspired by a real story.

Dudley Stokes was an officer in the Jamaican army and hadn't really heard of the sport until his superiors gave a presentation to try and recruit volunteers to take part in the country's first Olympic bobsleigh team. Some of his colleagues were put off by the danger involved as they watched a film of a bobsleigh hurtling down an icy track, but Dudley wasn't. He got on to the team as a driver and became the captain. Dudley tells Anu Anand about the difficult journey to the 1988 Winter Olympics, with only a few months training, and how he coped with a dramatic crash at the Games as the world watched.

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Presenter: Anu Anand
Producer: Deiniol Buxton

Photo: The Jamaican four man bobsleigh team in action at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympic Games.
Credit: David Yarrow/Getty Images

Published on Monday, 14th February 2022.

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