In a historic moment for Jamaican winter sports, the nation’s four-man bobsleigh team slid into the record books on Monday, winning the country’s first-ever gold medal at the North American Cup in Whistler.
The crew, led by pilot Shane Pitter alongside brakemen Andrae Dacres, Junior Harris, and former national 100m champion Tyquendo Tracey, combined raw power with precision to claim the top spot. Their combined time of 1 minute 45.88 seconds was enough to edge out the host nation, Canada.
The victory is the culmination of a standout weekend for the Jamaican team, which also secured a bronze medal in the two-man bobsleigh event the previous day. For Pitter, 26, the win is a significant personal and national achievement, as he becomes the first Jamaican pilot to steer a four-man sled to gold at this level.
The team, whose legendary 1988 Olympic run was immortalized in the film Cool Runnings, has continued to build a legacy of determination and athletic grit. This latest victory banks crucial qualification points as the team sets its sights on the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina.
“This means I’m a champion, and this is why we train so hard,” said Pitter after the race. “This is what we work for. This is what we reap.”
This unprecedented success signals that Jamaican bobsleigh is moving from a beloved underdog story to a formidable competitor on the world stage, with a new generation of athletes ready to propel the legacy forward. The performance serves as an inspiration, proving that athletic excellence can overcome geographic and climate barriers.
