Lolo Jones’ new venture: bobsledding!
Are you ready for more Lolo Jones in the Olympics? It could happen, and in less than four years.
Jones, the Olympic hurdler who made headlines throughout the summer but failed to medal, is in training in Lake Placid, N.Y. for, of all things, the U.S. bobsled team. No, really. And she's doing well, too.
Bobsled coach Todd Hays invited several track Olympians to speak to prospective team members as an inspiration, and also as a not-so-subtle way to test their willingness and skill at the bobsled pushing slot. Jones took the bait, and in her very first night of competitive pushing, shoved pilot Jazmine Fenlator to a combined two-run time of 1:57.01. That was good enough for second place, only 0.05 seconds behind the leaders.
"It's a new sport for me and there's a ton of room for improvement," Jones told Sports Illustrated. "I'm coming in here trying to learn everything quickly. I'm looking forward to fixing some things and hammering it out."
The full team will be announced following the conclusion of trials in both bobsled and skeleton later this week.
The jump from other sports into bobsled pushing isn't quite as wide as the gap between, say, baseball and basketball. Former football star Herschel Walker made the U.S. bobsled team in 1992, but only pushed his sled to seventh place in Albertville, France.
Earlier this year, Jones arrived in London as one of the most celebrated athletes at the 2012 Games, at least in part because of off-track stories. In her 100m hurdles, she finished a disappointing fourth, and is a long shot to make the 2016 team.
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