Jamaica's bobsledders struggle at Olympics

Sochi, Feb 17 (IANS/CMC) Jamaica's two-man bobsleigh team finished bottom of the standings after the first day of competitions at the Winter Olympics being held at the Sanki Sliding Centre here.

The team of Winston Watts and Marvin Dixon had a combined time of one minute and 57.23 seconds Sunday, almost five seconds behind the Russian pair of Alexander Zubkov and Alexey Voevoda who clocked 1:52.82. The Russians are ahead of second-placed Beat Hefti and Alex Baumann of Sweden in 1:53.14. Americans Steven Holcomb and Steven Langton are third.

This season's World Cup winner Holcomb, who also won the 2010 gold in the four-man event, was just 0.09 seconds behind Zubkov after the first attempt but finished third with a time of 1:53.18.

The Jamaicans will enter the third and final heat Monday. Jamaica made its debut at the Winter Olympics in 1988 Calgary when a team made up of track sprinters entered in the men's four-man bobsleigh competition.

--IANS/CMC

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