Flavor Flav joins the U.S. bobsled, skeleton teams as hype man for Olympics

Flavor Flav laughs at a question during an interview with The Associated Press at the USA athletic house at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Luca Bruno — AP

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By Tim Reynolds

The Associated Press

PARK CITY, Utah — At 66 years old, Flavor Flav went 67 mph. That was all it took to get him hooked on sliding.

Meet the newest fan of the U.S. bobsled and skeleton program: a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, a founding member of Public Enemy, a reality show star and now, an aspiring slider. USA Bobsled and Skeleton announced Flav as its new official hype man Monday, not long after he spent a couple days around the team at the 2002 Olympic track in Utah.

And he plans to be with the team at the Milan-Cortina Olympics in February.

“The partnership is a blessing,” Flav said. “It’s cooler than Cool Runnings. It’s Coolest Runnings.”

The 66-year-old Flav — his legal name is William Jonathan Drayton Jr. — spent time with the bobsled and skeleton teams this past week. He went down the Park City track in a bobsled, then also wanted to try out skeleton, the headfirst sliding sport where elite athletes can reach speeds exceeding 80 mph.

Team officials wanted Flav to start from a low spot on the track, as is the case with all first-timers for safety reasons. Flav didn’t necessarily like that; he wanted to start from higher up, significantly raising the level of difficulty. Eventually, he got his chance and he hit 67 mph on his second run.

For a regular person just trying the sport, that’s exceptional. No word on whether he used his catch phrase, ‘Yeah, boyeeeee.’

“Oh my gosh, he’s one of the coolest, most adventurous men that I’ve ever met,” U.S. skeleton athlete Dan Barefoot told The Associated Press. “He was upset that he couldn’t go from higher up on the track. … I was kind of upset at how good he was. It’s a sport that takes a lot of skill, but he made it look straightforward.”

Many members of the team got Flav’s personal cell phone number. And when the Olympics are over, Flav plans to return to Park City to take part in a camp for sliders.

“We are thrilled to welcome Flavor Flav as an official sponsor and hype man for USA Bobsled/Skeleton,” USA Bobsled and Skeleton CEO Aron McGuire said. “It’s clear he has a genuine passion for sports and an authentic love for the USA team. Flavor Flav embodies the same grit, dedication, and pride that define our athletes, and we’re excited to have him bring that excitement to our team and fans across the country.”