Olympics-Flavor Flav takes hype man role for US bobsleigh team at Winter Games

(Reuters) -Rapper Flavor Flav has been tasked with keeping the American bobsleigh and skeleton team's spirits high at the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, following his high-profile support of the country's water polo team at last year's Paris Games. Flav, a founding member of hip hop group Public Enemy, was appointed official sponsor and hype man for USA Bobsled/Skeleton (USABS) on Tuesday. "The partnership is a blessing. It's cooler than Cool Runnings. It's Coolest Runnings," said Flav, born William Jonathan Drayton, referencing the highly successful movie about the Jamaican bobsleigh team. In addition to cheering the U.S. women's water polo team to fourth place in Paris, he joined Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, the husband of tennis great Serena Williams, in paying discus thrower Veronica Fraley's rent after she posted about her financial issues on social media. "It's clear he has a genuine passion for sports and an authentic love for the USA team," USABS CEO Aron McGiure said in a statement. "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." The Winter Games run from February 6-22. (Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

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