North Country Sports Council Partners With Jamaica Bobsled

The North Country Sports Council and Hotel Saranac will become the new training headquarters for the Jamaica Bobsled team ahead of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Italy.

The Hotel Saranac, nestled in the village of Saranac Lake, will provide an opportunity for the team to prepare and train for upcoming bobsled competitions while immersing themselves in the local community. The Olympic Regional Development Authority will be providing the team with training facilities.

“We are honored to partner with the Jamaica Bobsled team and provide them with a home away from home,” said Matthew Dougherty, executive director of NCSC. “This collaboration not only signifies our commitment to supporting athletes from all corners of the globe, but this also showcases our region’s dedication to fostering a diverse and inclusive sporting community.”

In addition, the North Country Sports Council will continue to collaborate on tourism initiatives to showcase the unique charm of both the North Country and Jamaica. The Jamaica team will be a part of this year’s Saranac Lake Winter Carnival parade.

“It would be impossible to tell the story of the Jamaica Bobsled team without including its relationship with the North Country,” said Nelson Christian Stokes, chairman and chief executive officer of the Jamaica Bobsled team. “The team has willingly participated in community events over the years as a way of returning and showing appreciation for the warmth and caring with which its athletes have been received. I am very pleased now to formalize and deepen this relationship.”

Since its debut at the 1988 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary, the Jamaican bobsled team has competed in seven subsequent Games, most recently in Beijing in 2022 where it had its largest contingent ever including a 2-man team, a 4-man team and a women’s Monobob competitor.