Jamaica's bobsleigh team will qualify for Sochi 2014 next week, but require cash to compete in Russia next month, according to pilot Winston Watts.

With 30 teams taking part in the Games and despite Jamaica being ranked 39th in the world, they are only one place away from securing an Olympic berth when nations with more than two qualifiers are removed from the picture.

Only the Dutch second team stand between the Caribbean island and qualification, but with the Netherlands duo likely to be withdrawn for failing to achieve targets set by their governing body, Watts looks set to pilot his country's sled. However, the 46-year-old revealed that funding is still a major obstacle to their participation.

He told BBC Sport: "It's not been cheap. If we had been able to go over to Switzerland for the final qualification races, or some of the earlier ones, I'm convinced we would have confirmed this a lot sooner.

"We need about $40,000 (£25,000) for travel and also to buy new runners for the sled because we can't go to an Olympics with only one set."

Watts, who is based in the United States, has invested £100,000 of his own money in Jamaica's quest for qualification.

The Caribbean island will find out on Monday if they have officially qualified for the Olympics, which begin on February 6.