- Title: Jamaica's first Olympian skier to channel Cool Runnings spirit at Beijing 2022
- Date: 20th January 2022
- Summary: ZURICH, SWITZERLAND (JANUARY 19, 2022) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) JAMAICAN ALPINE SKIER, BENJAMIN ALEXANDER, SAYING: "And so if I'm with my Black friends, I'm the white representative or Carlton, from The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and when I'm with my white friends, I am obviously the Black guy, so skiing is predominantly a white sport and whenever I'd be out skiing I
- Embargoed: 3rd February 2022 16:14
- Keywords: Benjamin Alexander Cool Runnings Dudley Stokes Jamaica Winter Olympics skiing
- Location: VARIOUS LOCATIONS
- City: VARIOUS LOCATIONS
- Country: Jamaica
- Topics: South America / Central America,Olympics,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA004FV1FXHB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Benjamin Alexander persevered to become the first Jamaican to qualify for Alpine Skiing at a Winter Olympics despite limited financing, the lack of a full-time coach and the inability to train consistently due to COVID-19.
And now he is hoping to channel the spirit of the iconic Jamaican bobsleigh team - immortalised in the film Cool Runnings - and inspire a new generation of winter Olympians from the Caribbean island.
He is even mentored by former bob-sleigher Dudley Stokes, who took part in four Olympics between 1988 and 1998, and speaks to him every day.
The former DJ, 38, was born in Britain to a Jamaican father and British mother, and turned to his Jamaican roots when he realised he was good enough to qualify for Beijing 2022 despite only taking up skiing six years ago.
Alexander added that not having access to competition for 17 of the last 24 months because of the COVID-19 pandemic made what he did even more special.
His place at next month's Games in Beijing was confirmed on the website of the international skiing federation (FIS) on Saturday after he booked his ticket after placing seventh in the giant slalom on Jan. 12 at the Cape Verde National Ski Championships.
Alexander says his skiing career was made possible by the Jamaican bobsleigh team that competed in Calgary, Canada in 1988, which inspired the "Cool Runnings" movie five years later.
Alexander expects to arrive in Beijing around Feb. 3 before competing on the 13th.
Jamaican athletes have also secured automatic qualification in the four-man, two-man and female mono-bobsleigh events.
The two-woman team is also in the alternate position, should one of the 20 teams not take up their place at the Games, which take place Feb. 4-20.
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