Lolo Jones Puts On 30 Pounds For Transition To Bobsledding


Lolo Jones is used to keeping herself in top running condition, carefully maintaining her lean body to give maximum push over the course of a 100-meter race.

But now, as the Summer Olympics star transitions to the bobsledding world, she’s taking a new approach to her body as well. Lolo was asked to try out for the US Bobsledding Team to see if her speed could be an asset to the team, and though she had never set foot on a bobsled track before, she was able to secure a place on the squad.

Now, as she and the team hope to make the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Lolo Jones is fully embracing her new role. That means maintaining a 9,000-calorie-a-day diet and putting on 30 pounds, which helps when it comes to pushing the 400-pound sled along the track.

“It’s a very blue-collar sport. It takes a tough person,” Jones said.

Lolo has already found success in the bobsledding world. In her first World Cup competition last November, she and a teammate combined to win a silver medal. She also contributed to the American team that won the 2013 world championships for an event pairing bobsled and skeleton events.

The Winter Olympics might represent a chance at redemption for Lolo Jones after two disappointing trips to the Summer Olympics. In 2008, she stumbled in the final leg of the 100-meter hurdles, falling from first to seventh place. In 2012, she came in as a favorite to win gold, but couldn’t overcome injures and finished fourth.

Her teammates think the Olympic experience — even in another sport — is a big value to the team.

“Transitioning to bobsled, having her speed and power, and also that experience as an elite athlete … she’s at the top of her game in her respective sport,” said Jazmine Fenlator, the team’s pilot. “So I think she brought a lot of knowledge and maturity that way and was super open to bobsled.”

Along the way, Jones has become one of the most recognized American athletes, with a trip around the late-night circuit after 2012 and even a spot in the upcoming movie Left Behind.

Lolo Jones says all she really wants to do is win a medal, no matter the sport or the season.

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