Winter Olympics: former Sheffield Hallam student dances with Jamaican Bobsleigh teammates ahead of games

Ashley Watson, aged 28, completed his studies for an MSc in physiotherapy at Sheffield Hallam last December, but is wasting no time getting back in the bobsleigh.

Ashley will compete as breakman for the Jamaican national four-man bobsleigh team, and aims to get the best results for the sport that the country has ever had.

The team shared a video of themselves dancing with excitement to Twitter on February 4, with the caption “We're in an Olympic mood!!”

In an Instagram post from January 17, Ashley said: “A childhood dream has come a reality. I gave up on this dream a few years back although I knew the elite athlete in me hasn’t died yet and had unfinished business.

“Blood, sweat and tears went into this and it has paid off! Best day of my sporting career! I was honoured to selected to compete in 13 out of the 16 races this season and gave it all I had.”

Ashley also shared a photo of himself with bobsled pilot, Shanwayne Stephens underneath the Olympic rings on February 6.

Jamaica’s Olympic bobsleigh debut came at Calgary, Alberta in 1988, where the team crashed their sleigh and did not finish in the four man event.

The 1994 Winter Olympics in Norway saw the team’s best performance to date, as they finished in 14th place, ahead of France, the US, Russia, and Australia.

The four-man bobsleigh event begins on Saturday, February 19, with the medals decided the following day, on the last day of competition at the Games.

Ashley, who was born in Peterborough, qualifies to compete for Jamaica through his father Derrick, who was born and raised in Jamaica.

Bobsleigh competitors need to have great upper body strength and speed in order to push the sled at the start of a race, as the sleighs can reach speeds exceeding 90mph.

Ashley’s role as breakman means that he is responsible for pulling the break and stopping the sleigh at the end of the race.

This Olympics is the first time Jamaica has qualified for three separate bobsleigh events, the four-man, two-man, and women’s monobob, which is a single person event.