Jamaica’s hopes to bring glory to the tropical island nation with a good showing at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver have been dashed somewhat by the news that its world-famous bobsled team has failed to qualify to compete in the Games, which start this Friday.

It will be the first Winter Games that the Jamaican team has missed since 1988, when its entrance in the winter sport won the team world attention and spawned the Disney movie Cool Runnings.

The island team barely made it into the Top 50 in the world rankings, but a spot there was good enough to compete in the Olympic qualifiers. However, Jamaica was not on the final list of competitors.

The team, however, has said it is now keeping its eyes on the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, and said it will take its place as a spectator at the Vancouver Games.

The Jamaican bobsled’s team only major victory since it entered the sport was winning the World Push Bobsled championship in 2000.

The island still has a shot at glory, however, as skiier Errol Kerr is a favourite to bring home Jamaica’s first Winter Games medal.

Kerr, 23, qualified to compete in the Games and has had such strong showings that he has earned the title of “Usain Bolt on Skis”.

Kerr has been a US resident since the age of 10, but is skiing under the Jamaican flag “because Jamaica is my home,” he said. “It’s in my DNA.”