Pilot Axel Brown and brakeman Andre Marcano, T&T's representative at the Beijing Winter Olympic Games in China, was carded to get its first taste of what competition would be like in the two-man bobsleigh event Thursday.

British-born Brown and Marcano, T&T's flag-bearer at the opening ceremony, are scheduled to race in the event's official training starting Thursday morning from 2.55 am in heat one and two at the Yanqing National Sliding Centre, speeding off in position number 11 out of the 30-nation field.

Heat three and four will take place on Friday from 2.10 am with teams racing from the opposite order. T&T will start in the 20th spot. On Saturday, the final training day, T&T will face off the starter from the 28th position at 12.40 am.

This is all in preparation for the start of the competition on Monday from 8.05 am. Heat two is later at 9.40 am while heat three will be the following day (February 15) from 8.15 am. The medal race/heat four will unfold later at 9.50 am.

Canada's Justin Kripps, the pilot, and Alexander Kopacz (brakeman) and Francesco Friedrich and Thorsten Margis of Germany shared gold after the two teams recorded exactly the same time after four runs in the two-man bobsleigh competition at the 2018 Winter Olympics held at the Alpensia Sliding Centre near Pyeongchang, South Korea. Oskars Melbardis and Janis Strenga of Latvia won the bronze medal.

Three of the four gold-medal-winning teams are back to defend their titles.

Kripps is back with new partner Cam Stones for Canada, which has three teams in the competition So too, Germans Friedrich and Margis. That nation also has three teams entered in the event. Latvia, the 2018 third-place finishing nation, has two teams entered with new members.

Caribbean neighbour Jamaica also has a team in the competition - Shanwayne Stephens and Nimroy Turgott.

T&T is being coached by Thomas Harris and has Shakeel John, who replaced Mikel Thomas after he was withdrawn due to health issues, as its alternate athlete.

Source: https://www.guardian.co.tt