Cooler Runnings

There’s a new chapter in Jamaica’s Winter Olympic story. Thirty-eight years after Jamaica’s trailblazing bobsleigh squad made history at Calgary 1988, leading to the famous Cool Runnings film,  a new generation is bringing the island’s spirit to Italy, led by 18-year-old Henri Rivers IV.

The Brooklyn-born skier has qualified to represent Jamaica in men’s slalom at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, becoming the Caribbean nation’s sole alpine skier in Italy.

While triplet sisters Henniyah and Helaina narrowly missed out on qualification, the Rivers family will still arrive in force, with both sisters travelling to Bormio to support Henri as he competes on the iconic Stelvio slope in the slalom on 16 February.

“A wave of pride is definitely going to hit me,” said Henri. “You know, ‘You did it, you accomplished what you dreamed about.’ It’s going to be a very, very good day for me.”

Their journey began in the Catskills, where their parents, both certified ski instructors and alpine race coaches, put them on skis shortly after their first birthday. By age five, they were racing, and by 14, they were training six days a week at elite ski academies in New Hampshire and Vermont.

The siblings race for Jamaica through their mother, Karen, whose family heritage connects them to the island.

“It feels right for me,” said Henri. “It’s a sense of pride. I want to show them that we’re good at winter sports, too.”

While Henniyah and Helaina did not qualify for Milano Cortina 2026, they remain fully invested in the shared Olympic dream and future Olympic pathway.

“I told him, it’s not just going to be you”, said Henniyah. “We’re still going to be there. We’ll be by your side even when you’re racing.”

Helaina added: “We do not tear each other down. We’re always supporting one another. We’re just really uplifting and supportive of each other.”

Henniyah and Henri previously represented Jamaica at the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games, gaining valuable international experience that helped shape their senior ambitions. All three triplets benefited from Olympic Solidarity scholarships during their recent gap year, enabling them to travel to different races and train alongside world-class athletes.

If all goes to plan, the siblings are now targeting a historic joint appearance at the Olympic Winter Games in the French Alps in 2030. For now, Henri carries the family’s flag in Italy, with his sisters proudly in his corner.

James Macleod, IOC Director of NOC Relations, Olympic Solidarity and Olympism365, (National Olympic Committees – NOCs – are the national constituents of the worldwide Olympic movement),  commented on how the Olympic Solidarity Scholarship programme is benefiting athletes like the Rivers Triplets, saying:

“The Olympic Solidarity Program provides essential funding to level the playing field and make sure that athletes from all backgrounds and from all 206 National Olympic Committees have an equal opportunity to reach and succeed on the Olympic stage.”

For the 2025–2028 period, Olympic Solidarity will distribute an unprecedented USD 650 million for the development of NOCs and their athletes worldwide. That’s a 10% rise overall, with a 16% increase of the amount allocated to scholarships for athletes, compared to the 2021-2024 period. This amount is funded entirely from the share of Olympic Games revenue allocated to the NOCs.

This reflects the International Olympic Committee’s steadfast commitment to reinvesting in the development of sport: more than 90% of all IOC revenue is redistributed to support the Olympic Movement globally. In practice, this means that the vast majority of income generated by the Games goes straight back into sport – helping athletes, regardless of background or resources, to train, compete, and inspire communities across the world.

A total of 449 athletes from 90 NOCs have received Olympic Solidarity funding that directly supported their journey to the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

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