'I achieved my Olympic dream - by not finishing last'

An athlete from North Yorkshire who competed for the Trinidad and Tobago bobsleigh team at the Winter Olympics says he is "proud" they did not finish last.

Axel Brown, from Harrogate, represented his mother's home country at the Milan-Cortina games, finishing 25th out of 26 teams in the two-man bobsleigh event.

"We accomplished everything we wanted to, which was to not come last and also to have fun and be present and just enjoy it all," says Brown.

The 33-year-old competed for Team GB for seven years before making the switch to join Trinidad and Tobago, which he also represented at the Beijing games in 2022.

Brown competed alongside his team-mate Dè Aundrè John in the two-man bobsleigh and also piloted the bobsleigh in the four-man event, which ended with a did not finish (DNF) result following a crash on the track due to a "mechanical failure" with the bobsleigh.

"Trinidad and Tobago had never had a four-man team at the Olympics before," he says.

"It was a crazy experience going into the four-man knowing that just by taking the start line we're literally making national history."

The team reached speeds of up to 83.7mph (134.74km/h).

Despite crashing out of the four-man event, Brown says he preferred competing in Italy than in China because of the support from the crowd, including his family and "new extended family".

His family were unable to travel to Beijing in 2022 because of the Covid pandemic.

"I left Beijing thinking it was everything I ever wanted as an athlete, I'd accomplished my goals, it was great," he says.

"Milan has made Beijing seem rubbish by comparison because of the amount of love and support and just everything around it being amplified so far beyond what Beijing was."

Brown competed in the two-man event at Beijing 2022 and finished 28th out of 30 teams, ahead of Jamaica and Brazil.

Brown says he will not be competing at the next Winter Olympics in the French Alps in 2030 but hopes his team has inspired other smaller nations to compete.

"I hope that we've shown how it can be done right and be done fun and you can enjoy the process, whether you win, lose or draw," he says.

"Whether you come 26th out of 27 and celebrate on the finish line or whether you're challenging for a medal - you can have fun with it."

Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.