Pristine beaches,
crystal-clear seas,
and balmy temperatures.
Where better for an athlete to prepare
for the Winter Olympic games?
Snowy powerhouses like Norway and Canada will be expected
to dominate proceedings at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
But what about those countries where ice would be nice
and snow is thin on the ground?
Can athletes from hot countries really cut it
at the Winter Olympics?
It sounds like the plot...
..of a Hollywood movie.
(BURNING QUESTIONS
(HOW DO ATHLETES FROM TROPICAL COUNTRIES)
(COMPETE IN WINTER OLYMPICS?)
In this episode of Burning Questions, we'll be
introducing you to the world's most unlikely Winter Olympians,
who've overcome geography in their quest to go faster,
higher and stronger.
For many of these athletes,
just qualifying for the Winter Olympics can be a metaphorical
mountain to climb, as qualifying events take place
in, yes, you've guessed it, hot...
COLD countries.
That means extensive travel or even upping sticks
and moving to a colder climate.
Despite this, there is an honourable tradition
of athletes from non-traditional countries
competing at the Winter games.
Ever since the Jamaican bobsleigh team captured
the imagination of the world back in 1988,
a series of competitors from less-than-frozen climes
have followed where these trailblazers led.
A total of 37 tropical nations have participated
in the Winter Olympics, while several other predominantly
warm weather nations have also sent athletes.
Pyeongchang will see the debut of four more.
Ecuador, Eritrea, Malaysia and Singapore.
But did you know that 60 years before the events made famous
by Cool Runnings, Mexico actually became the first hot
country to send athletes to the Winter Olympics?
And they were bobsleighers, no less.
Their bobsleigh team actually managed to finish
16th out of 23 entries.
It would be 56 years before Mexico sent another
athlete to the Winter Olympics, but it was worth the wait.
Because the athlete they sent was this gentleman,
Prince Hubertus of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.
I know what you're thinking. He doesn't SOUND very Mexican.
Prince Hubertus is actually descended from German royalty.
But he was born in Mexico City, making him
eligible to compete for Mexico.
After founding the Mexican Ski Federation in 1981,
he's represented Mexico
at virtually every Winter Olympics since.
As famed for his outlandish costumes
as his exploits on the piste, Prince Hubertus
has truly reigned over the Olympic spirit.
Another athlete who knows what it's like to carry
the hopes of a balmy nation on his shoulders
is Shiva Keshavan.
He became the first Indian to compete in the luge
at the Winter Olympic Games.
In fact, he's also the youngest person
ever to qualify for the Olympics in luge,
making his debut when he was just 16 years old.
I couldn't even cook a chicken Kiev when I was 16 years old.
The sliding prodigy has gone on to represent India
at no fewer than five Olympic Games,
and he's hoping to make it six in Pyeongchang.
Kenyan Philip Boit was a middle distance runner
with no experience of skiing when he was approached to
train for the Winter Olympic Games in Nagano in 1998.
Although he finished last in the 10km cross-country race,
he was involved in one of the most memorable scenes
in Olympic history when the winner,
Norwegian Nordic ski legend Bjørn Dæhlie,
waited 20 minutes for Boit to cross the finish line,
greeting him with a hug.
No "listicle"... Get it?
..would be complete without mentioning
the famous Jamaican bobsleigh team.
The team, several of whom had tried out unsuccessfully
for Jamaica's track and field team,
borrowed spare sleds from other countries in order to compete.
Although they did not finish,
having crashed out during qualifiers,
they became a firm fan favourite, and, of course,
inspired the movie Cool Runnings.
So they DID make a movie out of it!
I told you at the beginning.
And they were no one-hit wonders.
The team returned to the Winter Olympics again
in 1992, 1994,
1998, 2002
and 2014.
They remain the enduring symbol of athletes from hot countries
overcoming the odds...
..until now.
30 years after the men from Jamaica
made bobsleighing history, a team of woman from Nigeria
will follow in their icy footsteps,
becoming the first Nigerian athletes
to compete in the Winter Olympics.
Other warm weather nations
that have competed in the Winter games
include Bermuda, Hong Kong, Swaziland and Uruguay.
But perhaps the strangest tale of all belongs to Australia.
In 2002, they gained the distinction
of becoming the first southern hemisphere country
to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics,
but it's how they did it that's even more surprising.
Steven Bradbury was in last place coming into the final lap
of the men's 1,000 metre short track speed skating when,
suddenly, this happened.
All Bradbury had to do
was glide past the writhing mass of bodies
to claim the gold.
Not bad for just staying on his skates!
So there you have it. I hope you enjoyed this edition of "Burning Questions".
Don't forget to leave your Burning Questions in the comments.
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