TT men's bobsleigh team begins their Olympics campaigning on Monday

Trinidad and Tobago men's bobsleigh team has started their campaign at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games at the Yanqing National Sliding Centre in Beijing, China, on Monday.

The two-person team led by pilot Axel Brown and brakeman Andre Marcano hit the icy track for the first of three slides, in 29th position of the 30 competing nations. National teams will compete according to their ranking in International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF).

When Trinidad and Tobago were assured of featuring at the Winter Olympics one month ago, pilot Brown made a statement that the team aims to secure a spot among the final 20 nations.

Earlier this week, Trinidad and Tobago has conducted six test runs down the 1,600-metre track. Their fastest time- one minute and 1.35 seconds (1:01:35)- was achieved on the fifth attempt, while their slowest (1:02:52) came on the initial try.

Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) president Brian Lewis reached Beijing and said that the team is upbeat ahead of their Olympic debut. It is the first time after 20 years Trinidad and Tobago will be featured at the Games in men's bobsleigh. Earlier this team has been qualified for three times back in 1994, 1998 and 2002.

President Lewis added that, "The team is in good spirits and looking forward to the competitive return of the Team TTO after 20 years away from the Winter Olympics. It's all about managing expectations."

"Getting in the top 20 is a simple or easy task. That is the immediate target. If we get into the top 20, it will be a huge achievement for Trinidad and Tobago on return after two decades."

At the same time, on Sunday, the China Meteorological Administration issued a blizzard warning saying high snowfall is expected in large parts of northern China, including Beijing, the capital and current site of the Winter Olympics.

Chinese authorities have released a blue blizzard warning, the lowest of the four-tiered alerts, with some regions forecast to receive up to 4 cm (1.6 inches) of snow.