Sport

Jamaica will compete in the four-man bobsled at the Winter Olympics for the first time in 24 years

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 18th January 2022

Jamaica will have a four-man bobsled team in the Winter Olympics this year – a feat so difficult and unexpected, it inspired the comedy film Cool Runnings.

It’s been 24 years since Jamaica sent a four-man team to the event, which this year will take place in Beijing.

Even before the games kick off it’s a historic year for Team Jamaica, which will now compete in three Olympic bobsled events for the first time.

As well as the four-man bobsled, the nation will also have a presence in the two-man and the women’s monobob events.

They may also be able to compete in the two-woman event, narrowly missing out on a guaranteed place but first in line for the reserves.

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A post from Team Jamaica says: “It will be fire on ice as Team Jamaica secured their spot at the 2022 Beijing #WinterOlympics.”

Cool Runnings was inspired by Jamaica’s bobsled team. Credit: Disney

Shanwayne Stephens, who is expected to lead the four-man team, said they have ‘already made history’.

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He wrote: “We have only gone and done it. We have officially qualified for @beijing2022.

Read more: A new exhibition shining a light on the history of women’s football is opening in Manchester

“This journey started 4 years ago and it’s been one filled with ups, downs, injuries, frustration and anger.

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“All of which, looking back has prepared us for what what we have managed to achieve this year.

“It’s been 24 years since Jamaica has had a 4man crew at the Olympics and we have never qualified both sleds at the same time. Just by qualifying, we have already made history.”

Thanking his teammates Matthew Wilson, Rolando Reid, Ashley Watson and Nimroy Turgott, he continued: “These boys have risen to every challenge they have faced this season and are the reason this dream was possible.

“If we thought the hard work was over, it isn’t, it’s only just beginning.

“Let’s keep the focus and stamp our names in the history books!! Let’s go Jamaica”

Featured image: Team Jamaica

Sport

Manchester United fans are loving Marcel Sabitzer’s ‘cold AF’ response to FA Cup drama

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Manchester United fans are absolutely loving Marcel Sabitzer‘s “cold AF” response to a post-match interview question yesterday.

Following what can only be described as a dramatic 90-minutes for the Red Devils against Fulham yesterday in the Quarter Finals of the FA Cup, the Austrian midfielder was asked by reporters to give his take on the match – which saw three straight red cards given and a brawl break out, all before he netted his first goal for the club.

The 29-year-old – who was signed on a loan from Bayern Munich until the end of the 22/23 season – was asked by ITV Football’s Gabriel Clarke in his post-match interview whether or not United won the game, or rather if it was a case of Fulham losing it.

And his “straight-talking” response to the question has seen supporters calling for him be signed on a permanent deal.

It all came after a late second-half meltdown at Old Trafford, where Fulham winger Willian was first sent off for a handball on the goal-line in the 72nd minute, before Fulham goal-scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic then started squaring-up to the referee, and several other players subsequently joined in leading to an on-pitch commotion.

Mitrovic was also shown a straight red card shortly after, as was Fulham manager Marco Silva for dissent.

Sabitzer then scored his first goal in a United shirt quickly after in the 77th minute.

After speaking on the game as a whole, when the reporter asked whether it was United that won or Fulham who lost, the midfielder shrugged his shoulders and said with a completely straight face: “We won it. Why not?

“We scored three, they scored one. We concentrated and were focused.

“I think we deserved the win.

“We had some chances that we missed. Second half, we were 1-0 down, but, as I said, we came back and that’s the important thing.”

Marcel Sabitzer scored his first goal in a United shirt during yesterday’s dramatic FA Cup clash / Credit: Manchester United (via Facebook)

The Austrian international’s answer to the reporter’s question has seen United supporters heap praise on him, taking to social media after the match to urge the club to sign him on a permanent deal after his loan ends at the close of the current season.

“The way he said “we won it”. Absolutely love this guy,” one fan said on Twitter.

“Sign him for this interview alone,” another United fan said on Twitter, while a third added: “Cold AF. Love it,” and a fourth commented: “Love how Sabitzer handled this interview despite the usual moronic questions.”

Another fan added on Twitter in response: “Sabitzer interview brilliant. For the goal and interview alone he has to be a red next season.”

Sabitzer also spoke to Manchester United’s official MUTV channel after the match and described his first goal for the club as “massive” for him.

“I was overwhelmed,” he admitted.

“Scoring the first at Old Trafford in front of these amazing fans. And that important one, at 2-1 it was a massive one. I am very happy at the moment. I couldn’t reach it with the right foot, so I was just trying to hit it with the left foot and it worked out.”

“It’s massive win,” he continued. “We wanted to go back to Wembley, we did it. 1-0 down was tough, but we come back and it was a good one.”

With the prospect of another trophy on the horizon as United head to Wembley for the second time this season in the FA Cup Semi Final, Sabitzer said he’s prepared for another clash in the capital.

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“As I said, before the game we were very focused to go back to Wembley and we did it,” he declared, “We know we are going to face a tough opponent, strong opponent. But we will prepare well for it and we will be ready to go to the final.

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“We will go there and win it and bring it on.”

Featured Image – ITV Football

Sport

Erling Haaland admits Man City bought him to win the Champions League

Danny Jones Danny Jones City bought Haaland to win Champions League

Record-smashing striker Erling Haaland has admitted that Manchester City bought him for one key reason: to win the Champions League.

With the big Norwegian helping his team into the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday night —well, almost single-handedly launching them into it with five goals against RB Leipzig — the question once again arose as to whether or not City can actually do it this year.

As well as manager Pep Guardiola conceding that many would consider him ‘a failure’ if he falls short of winning the club’s first UCL title again this season, it being the only trophy that he hasn’t won since arriving at the Etihad, Haaland is making no bones about the job he was brought in to do either.

Speaking to CBS Sports after their massive 7-0 win, the star striker admitted: “Of course the club want to win the Champions League, they want to still win trophies. They won the Premier League four times out of the last five years so they didn’t bring me in to win the [league], they know how to do that already”.

The 22-year-old went on to say of his transfer, “you can read between the lines… I’m here to try to help the club develop even more, to try to win the Champions League for the first time.”

As for his Catalan coach, he said that the idea of ‘failure’ is something he feels on a regular basis, insisting that no matter what he does or wins, “nothing will be enough, that’s why I enjoy it”.

Back in February, Guardiola said that it took him “a few years” to understand the kind of pressure being at City has piled on, noting that many push the “perspective that everything is a disaster if you don’t win some prizes” but that he doesn’t want to put any more on himself than there already is.

He went on to quip, “I have to win three, four Champions Leagues [to be deemed a success]. Unless you are Madrid, the rest cannot do it, adding that the last two seasons we have been really close, really good games” and they will simply “try to do it again.” Having Haaland gives them more than a decent chance.

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Even without getting his chance for a double hattrick, Haaland managed to break three records in one night both on a club level and in the Champions League, so it’s safe to say the signs are looking positive.

Now on 39 goals across all competitions this season, the only question is will the goals come in the key games and the rest of the team put in the right performances in the big games?

Either way, Pep will never be happy — we blame Julia Roberts and so does he…

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Featured Image — Manchester City (via Twitter)

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