Lolo Jones Will Destroy Her Demons in 100-Meter Hurdles at 2012 London Olympics

American star Lolo Jones will crush her demons this summer when she takes home gold in the women's 100-meter hurdles at the 2012 London Olympics.

Jones has been living with the heartbreak of her unthinkable mistake at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games for four years now. Jones was pulling away in the 100-meter hurdles event when she stumbled on the second-to-last hurdle, costing her the gold medal. She would finish seventh. 

At age 29, Jones will once again enter the event as a favorite to top the podium, as will fellow Americans Dawn Harper and Kellie Wells.

The motivation to redeem herself in London this summer has no doubt driven her preparation leading up to the Summer Games, where she is under pressure to win her first Olympic medal of any kind. 

Jones has received all sorts of attention for her good looks and inspiring rags-to-riches story, but critics bash her for her lack of significant accomplishment in the sport. The Olympic success eludes her still.

The Iowa native is the current American record holder in the 60-meter hurdles, boasting a time of 7.72 seconds. Jones will need to maintain a similar pace in London if she is to outlast a field of strong hurdlers. 

Jones finished third behind Dawn Harper (2008 Olympic gold medal winner in the 100-meter hurdles) and Kellie Wells in the 100-meter hurdles final at the 2012 US Olympic track and field trials earlier this summer. She posted a time of 12.86 seconds, 0.13 seconds behind Harper. 

The order the three women finish in London could easily change, as there will be Olympic gold on the line, not just a qualifying berth. Even if Jones were to fail in her quest to become the fastest women's hurdler in the world this summer, she could still conquer a lifelong goal of claiming an Olympic medal by finishing in the Top Three. 

At the same time, Jones has worked too hard and overcome too much in her life to settle for anything less than first place in London. Although her first Olympic gold medal has proved elusive, Jones will exercise her demons this summer, and begin her legacy by winning the 100-meter hurdles.

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