Georgetown University graduate and rookie bobsledder Chris Kinney will make his Olympic debut in South Korea next month.
The 30-year-old Georgia native graduated in 2011 with a degree in Japanese, according to Georgetown University’s website. Kinney was a collegiate track & field star, earning honors in two hurdling events and was a three-time Big East champion.
The athlete went on to race professionally in Japan before making his first national bobsled team during 2016-2017. Kinney will join Hakeem Abdul-Saboor, a Virginia native, Sam Michener and experienced driver Nick Cunningham in the sled as a push athlete.
"Making the team has me feeling a wave of emotions," Kinney told Georgetown University athletics. "I'm extremely ecstatic and humbled to be representing USA, while at the same time exhausted from the excitement and the work every sled on Team USA had to put in this weekend to qualify three sleds. This whole process until now has had its ups and downs but I wouldn't change a thing and am ready to battle it out with my teammates in PyeongChang."
In addition to his many athletic talents, Kinney can quote almost every episode of "Friends" word for word, according to Team USA. An Instagram post also reveals a hidden talent of making intricate origami art.
“It’s kind of a good stress reliever,” Kinney told the Washington Post. “Everyone in Japan gets a kick out of it. They’re like, ‘Who’s this big black guy that can do origami?’”
Four-man bobsled competitions will take place Feb. 24-25.
