Cool Runnings 2.0? Jamaica steps foot into international curling

Slide over, Jamaican bobsledders. A group of expats from the ice-free island are hoping to bring a whole new winter sport to their tropical homeland: curling.

Three decades after Jamaica crashed the Winter Olympics — and then crashed at the Winter Olympics — with the bobsleigh team made famous in the movie "Cool Runnings," the country has joined the World Curling Federation. The status allows it to compete in international events, and the new national governing body is hoping that formal recognition will help the sport break through in a place better known for sprinters, reggae and rum.

"The bobsled team broke the ice — pardon the pun," Curling Jamaica President Ben Kong said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. "Now there's sort of an acceptance that Jamaicans can compete in any sport, even if it is a winter sport."

Born on Scottish lochs and most popular among Scandinavians, Scots and Canadians, curling is riding a post-Olympic boost from TV viewers who quadrennially fall in love with the quirky sport with the sweeping and shouting and chess-like strategy. Lately, that's brought the sport to some new — and non-white — nations.

Since the Pyeongchang Games in 2018, the WCF has recognized federations in the Dominican Republic, Kenya, Bolivia, Turkmenistan, India and Kuwait. Jamaica is the first to join since the Beijing Olympics, earning conditional status last month as the third member from the Caribbean.

WATCH | Curling ambassador Melvin Lee seeks increased diversity in sport:

WCF President Kate Caithness called it "an exciting milestone for the sport as we continue to increase our members in nontraditional curling nations."

Curling Jamaica technical director Cristiene Hall-Teravainen, who moved to Winnipeg