The real story
The idea came from two Americans living in Jamaica who watched a local pushcart derby and thought the explosive starts looked like bobsleigh. They recruited mostly from the Jamaica Defence Force, trained on grass and concrete, borrowed sleds and equipment from other nations, and qualified for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary about five months later.
In the four-man event their driver lost control on the third of four runs, and the sled crashed and slid on its side. The team climbed out and walked beside it to the finish line while the crowd cheered. The 1993 film 'Cool Runnings' changed many details, including having them carry the sled. Jamaica has sent bobsleigh teams to many Winter Games since.
