The Jamaican women's two-person bobsled team could be forced to miss the Pyeongchang Games because the team does not have a bobsled ready for competition.
The Jamaica Bobsleigh Federation announced Wednesday that the team coach -- who owns the Latvian boblsed the team was to use -- has left the team. The departure means it could be impossible for the team to use the bobsled, according to a BBC report.
Jamaica initially decided to use a Japanese bobsled for the Pyeongchang Olympics, and made a deal in 2016 with the promotion committee for the ShitamachiBobsleigh Network Project. The bobsled was manufactured by independent factories in Ota Ward, Tokyo.
The committee then provided four bobsleds to Jamaica at no charge on the premise the team would use the Japanese sleds at the Pyeongchang Games. However, the committee received a notice from the Jamaican side on Feb. 5 that it would not be using the Japanese bobsled at the Olympics because a Latvian sled the team used for an international event in December last year performed better.
The committee's spokesperson told The Yomiuri Shimbun on Thursday: "We haven't heard [from the Jamaican team]. The bobsleigh and our staff are still in Pyeongchang," adding that it is preparing to provide a sled to the Jamaican team.
The Yomiuri Shimbun
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