Lolo Jones.
Lolo Jones is headed to Sochi.
The track and field star has become just the ninth American named to both Summer and Winter Olympic teams, as she was selected as one of three pushers for the U.S. bobsled team.
As
a hurdler, Jones competed on both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic teams, but
was unable to medal in either one. In 2008, she clipped the penultimate
hurdle while leading, and in 2012, she finished fourth, just off the
podium.
Jones was named to the
team following the final World Cup event on Sunday, an event where
other United States teams captured both gold and silver. Jones and pilot
Jazmine Fenlator finished seventh. Selecting the team was based on
coaches' discretion, and Jones was one of five highly qualified pushers
seeking the three spots.
Also
named to the team: Lauryn Williams, a three-time summer Olympian who
helped the United States win gold in the 400-meter relay in London.
Williams may lack the public notoriety of Jones, but she too can now
claim the Summer-Winter double-dip.
"This is the deepest field of push athletes we've ever had," Darrin Steele, CEO of the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, said upon release of the selections.
"We knew heading into the season that the Olympic selection was going
to be extremely difficult. It's a good problem to have, but it meant
that some outstanding athletes would not make the Olympic team."
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