Lolo Jones: USA's Darling Track Star Won't Medal in London
Lolo Jones became America's feel-good story of the summer after she earned a spot on USA's track and field team. But her long road back to the Olympics isn't going to end with a spot on the podium.
Jones wasn't expected to make it this far to begin with, after suffering a spinal chord injury that required surgery last August. Since her recovery, Jones hadn't been exactly dominating the competition, according to CBSSports.com:
"Recently she'd shown herself to be beatable by not just Harper and Wells, but a bundle of other hurdlers who had passed her over the obstacles at recent trial runs. Yet here, when it counts the most, she nabs the final spot? That's clutch -- and speeds up the Jones narrative heading into London.
"
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Then, she shocked the track and field community when she finished third in the 100-meter hurdle trials in Eugene, Oregon with a time of 12.86 seconds.
Already one of the most recognizable figures in American Olympic sports before this stunner, Jones has since blown up the airwaves with a plethora of television and radio appearances. She is a beautiful woman who has gained notoriety for proclaiming her status as a virgin, and her photogenic face is already hitting magazine covers across the country.
By the time the Olympics start in August, most of America will know who she is.
Her recovery is an awesome story, and her fame is good for the Olympics. In addition to recovering from back surgery, Jones has also recovered from a childhood that was less than ideal. She is inspirational, and people who wouldn't normally tune in to the Olympics will watch her run—and that's never a bad thing.
Unfortunately, Jones won't earn a medal in London.
She was lucky to get this far to begin with, and the competition only gets sterner when she faces the best the world has to offer. America's darling isn't going to have a storybook ending, but she'll continue to be a shining light for the sport of track and field long after the games have concluded.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
