Jamaica is sending a women's bobsleigh team to next month's Winter Olympics, "30 years after the country's men made their first historic appearance," according to Nick Hope of the BBC. The team will be led in PyeongChang by Jazmine Fenlator, who competed for the U.S. as a push-athlete at Sochi 2014. The men made their "legendary Olympic debuts" at Calgary 1988, which led to the making of the film "Cool Runnings." Fenlator said, "PyeongChang will be my second appearance at the Winter Games, but it is just as special as my first. This time I have the opportunity to represent my other home -- Jamaica -- and make history as the first female team representing the country in the Winter Olympic Games." Jamaica's men's team is currently ranked 31st in the Olympic qualification list, with 30 available places in the competition (BBC, 1/16).
AFRICAN APPEARANCE: The BBC reported Nigeria's women's bobsleigh team will "make history" in PyeongChang as the first African sled to compete at the Winter Olympics. Seun Adigun, Ngozi Onwumere and Akuoma Omeoga hit the qualifying standard in November but needed to "maintain their world ranking" until last Saturday. Simidele Adeagbo "will also fly the West African nation's flag in the women's skeleton." All three bobsledders were once track and field athletes before switching to winter sports (BBC, 1/15).