Brian Jenkins, from CHESTER, has won gold in the Winter Olympics in the men’s Defrosting your Car with a Kettle event. His wife, Sharon, goes for gold in the women’s event later today.
The Winter Olympics, held in PyeongChang in South Korea, has thrown up a few surprises already this year but none more so than Britain scooping gold in the particularly fierce field of defrosting a frozen windscreen with a kettle. Some of the best windscreen defrosters were competing for the title, but all were beaten by Chester-born Brian Jenkins.
Brian defrosted his car windscreen in a personal best of 58 seconds, just 2 seconds outside the current world record, held by the great Bob Pope, from Rochdale and set in 1984.
The event was originally known as ‘defrosting your car’, but Welshman Kevin Wakeman controversially used a kettle in the 1952 Winter Olympics, winning the gold by several minutes. His win was scrutinised by officials, and other competitors complained about the use of a kettle but his win was upheld.
Kevin commented:
Look at these nutters, all scraping their cars like. I just used a kettle isn’t it. Much easier mun.
The IOC approved the use of a kettle for the 1956 Olympics, and it has been used by all competitors bar the Americans ever since. The Americans refuse to use a kettle as they’re still unsure what one is. Consequently, the American athlete always finishes last, bar the 2014 tournament when the French competitor forgot to plug in his kettle.
After his win last night, Brian Jenkins joins the great Winter Olympians such as Torvill and Dean, Amy Williams and Lizzy Yarnold.
He added.
Bloody hell. I’m bloody chuffed. I didn’t expect to win. It’s like a dream.
ITV is reportedly in talks with Brian to co-host a new Saturday evening show, titled ‘Pour‘, where celebrities learn how to defrost their cars with kettles.
