A track star disappointed with her Olympic performance becomes a bobsledder? This story seems oddly familiar.
No, this is not the beginning of the movie Cool Runnings, but the beginning of U.S. Olympic track hurdler Lolo Jones’s bobsledding career.
After narrowly missing out on a medal in London, placing fourth in the 100 meter hurdles, Jones has set her sights on making the American bobsled team. She is trying out to become a push-athlete for the World Cup team.
Jones’s interest in bobsledding started after the U.S. bobsled team invited Jones, along with other Olympians, to inspire potential bobsledders with her Olympic experiences.
But the question on everyone’s minds remains: Is she any good?
So far, so good for Jones. She and her pilot partner, Jazmine Fenlator, placed second in the first round of trials. Look like she’s not so similar to the underdog first Jamaican national bobsled team, after all.
“I’m just trying to take it all in,” Jones told the Associated Press.
Between placing fourth after she was expected to take home gold at the London Olympics and tripping on the second-to-last hurdle and placing seventh at the Beijing Olympics, Jones said she is ready for a fresh start.
“It’s a new sport for me and there’s a ton of room for improvement … I’m coming in here trying to learn everything quickly. I’m looking forward to fixing some things and hammering it out.”