Dear Editor,

I take issue with the Observer sports headline, ‘Jamaica’s bobsledders flop’. What is lacking too often in our competitive drive to excel in sports is the lack of support, especially when we don’t come out on top.

The bobsledders did not flop. Sport is not only about winning, it is about getting to the stage where you are able to compete. It is about determination, hard work, inspiration, and striving to get better.

The two-man team not only managed to qualify to compete in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, but they also got to compete with the world’s best in a sport that’s non-traditional by any means in Jamaica, given our tropical climate. They might’ve ended last in the events, but came out on top in spirit, showmanship, drive, and determination. They were also well liked amongst the athletes in the village, according to reports and the many ‘selfies’ with other athletes which showed up on social media. They were also well supported from the crowd response and the international media interest; one news outlet even commented, that the Jamaican support each time they competed could only be matched by that of the eventual gold medal winners, Russia. Any online search on the two-man teams’ results will invariably pull up some news headline about Team Jamaica. So why would we say they flopped?

Although they finished last, after Heat 3, they were really just a couple seconds slower than most of the other countries competing, and only 6.5 seconds behind the leader at that point, the eventual gold medal winners. They fared well considering the odds; they also didn’t crash.

Perhaps as they strive to improve in the future, they will recruit, train and use younger, leaner athletes who might help to improve on speed, especially the push start and for the overall weight of the sled. Most of the other athletes seemed leaner. I was also concerned about the watermelon design on the helmet which has already become a topic for jokes in some quarters online, even TMZ. If you want to be taken seriously, you have to also act and look serious.

When all was said and done, the Jamaican bobsledders did amazingly well, and represented the country well. Let’s not forget it was only a few weeks ago they didn’t have the funds to get to Sochi and had to go on an urgent media blitz to raise funds online. The team should be therefore congratulated, along with corporate sponsors such as Puma.

It would be great to see them compete again in the next Winter Olympics, striving for a higher placement, and someday becoming even a medal contender. It is not impossible, considering they got this far.

P Chin

chin_p@yahoo.com