Red Bull athlete and USA Women’s hurdler Lolo Jones has decided to broaden her athletics skills by taking up bobsledding and is aiming to compete in the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014.
Jones, who finished fourth in the Women’s 100m hurdles in London 2012, turned her attention to Bobsled after she was picked to join the US National squad for the second year in a row. Jones will compete for the USA in the Sochi 2014 Winter Games.
The 31-year-old told ESPN that she is more prepared for this season after her first year with the squad was a triumphant success.
“Last year, I was just soaking everything in. It was an adventure, it was fun, it was nothing really on the line for me,” Jones said. “It was just kind of an escape and there were no expectations. So now coming into my second year, they expect me to be more knowledgeable and more of a leader.”
Jones’ professional track career hasn’t all been plain sailing. After winning three NCAA titles and earning 11 All-American honours at LSU, Jones was the clear favourite going into the Women’s 100m hurdles at the Beijing 2008 Olympics. Unfortunately, while leading the race to the penultimate hurdle, Jones fell and staggered across the line in seventh place behind eventual winner American sprinter Dawn Harper.
“I messed up and it cost me the gold medal. The good thing about failure is that if you learn from them they can make you such a stronger person and there is not a day that has gone by that I have not thought about that race.”
Jones also missed out on a medal in the London games. She finished fourth behind fellow countrywomen Harper and Kelly Wells as well as Sally Pearson from Australia, who won gold with a world record time of 12.35.
But Jones told Red Bull that she remains optimistic in her quest for a medal in an Olympics games either in Winter or Summer.
“I want to go to Sochi and get on the podium. Third time’s a charm right?”
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