It appears Jamaica will again have a bobsled team.
Led by 46-year-old Winston Watts, the Jamaicans are poised to compete on the ice at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.
In fact, barring a complete disaster at this weekend's final qualifier, Watts believes Jamaica's two-man team of himself and former sprinter Marvin Dixon will land a spot in the games.
Yes, just like Cool Runnings.
One problem: They haven't quite figured out how to pay for it. Just like Cool Runnings.
According to Watts, the Jamaican Olympic Association isn't funding the athletes.
"In truth, we still don’t really know at the moment if we’d even have enough funds or sponsorship to fly to Sochi itself for the Games itself," Watts told The Telegraph this week. "It all depends. Our families need to be taken care of first. If there’s no funding, who knows?"
Watts, who came out of retirement to give the Olympics another shot (he competed previously in '94, '98, and '02), was forced to cut his four-man team in half due to budgetary restrictions.
He has, for the past two years, financed his teammates to fly from Jamaica to the United States to train. Still, without significant support, he and Dixon will not be able to compete.
For his part, Watts remains largely undaunted.
"But, I’m one of life’s optimists. I put my heart on the line for this," he said. "Hopefully, the Jamaican Olympic Association will step in and support us now we’ve qualified."
Or they'll be forced to take to singing in the street, or arm wrestling, or employing a kissing booth to make money. Or perhaps someone will step up and foot the bill. The team is currently accepting donations via their webpage.
