Lolo Jones
Encyclopedia
Lori "Lolo" Jones, more commonly known as Lolo Jones, (born August 5, 1982) is an American track and field
athlete who specializes in the 60 and 100 meter hurdles. She won three NCAA titles and garnered 11 All-American honors while at LSU
. She won indoor national titles in 2007, 2008 and 2009 in the 60 m hurdles, with gold medals at the World Indoor Championship in 2008 and 2010.
She was favored to win the 100 m hurdles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but she tripped on the penultimate hurdle, finishing in seventh place. She went on to win silver at the 2008 World Athletics Final. Jones is the American record holder in the 60m hurdles with a time of 7.72.
or jail. In third grade, the Jones family settled in the basement of a Des Moines
church. During the summer when day camps were offered at the church, Lolo would wake up early to avoid being teased by other kids if they found out she was living in the basement.
When her family was about to make another move, this time to Forest City, Iowa
, Lolo told her mother "Mom, I can't go to a city that doesn't have a track. I'm trying to pursue my dream." Lolo and her family parted ways, and she lived with four different families during her enrollment at Theodore Roosevelt High School
in Des Moines. One of those families that took Jones in was Janis Caldwell, who had seen Jones compete at Roosevelt. While Jones stayed with the Caldwells after her senior year at Roosevelt, they gave her free rent even though Jones worked part-time at the Iowa Bakery Cafe, a small coffee shop
near her high school on 40th and University. During her junior and senior years, she lived with the family of Randy Essex, former Des Moines Register
assistant managing editor, and with the family of Des Moines attorney Kim Walker.
At Roosevelt, she excelled in the classroom, keeping her grades up and playing the cello
in the school orchestra
. Lolo, of course, also excelled on the track. She was named Gatorade Midwest Athlete of the Year and set a record at the Iowa state track meet with a mark of 13.40 seconds for the 100-meter hurdles.
through its Upward Bound/Science Bound
program. Instead, she followed the lead of elite hurdler Kim Carson, who was her role model and Caldwell's goddaughter. Carson was an All-American and national champion at Louisiana State University
. Like Carson, Jones competed on LSU's track team.
In 2002, she was runner-up in both 100-meter hurdles and 4x100-meter relay at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. In 2003, Jones won the 60-meter Hurdles at the NCAA Indoor Championships. She was later part of the winning 4x100-meter team at the 2003 NCAA Outdoor Championships. In the 2004 indoor campaign, she finished second at the NCAA Championships in both the 60-meter hurdles and 60-meter dash. In her 2004 outdoor season, she won the 100-meter Hurdles title at the NCAA Mideast Region Championships, the SEC Championships, and the Penn Relays. At the 2004 NCAA Outdoor Championships, she won another national title as a member of the winning 4x100-meter team. Her terrific career at LSU saw her finish as an 11-time All-American and a 6-time SEC champion, and she is ranked among the top-three women for all-time in both the 60-meter hurdles and 100-meter hurdles.
After failing to qualify for the 2004 Summer Olympics
in Athens, Greece, Jones found herself contemplating her future. When Jones told Shaver she wanted to retire from track, he replied, "I'll see you at practice tomorrow." Despite any second thoughts, Jones' heart led her back to running. Jones' financial situation also was still a concern, forcing her to choose between focusing on track and not earning a steady paycheck, or using her economics
degree
to get a regular job. To save money, Lolo would leave the air conditioner off, which meant suffering through the hot Louisiana
summer days. She also held several different part-time jobs after college, such as working at Home Depot, waiting tables, and a personal trainer at a gym. The part-time jobs helped her earn extra money and provided the flexibility to leave the country for competitions.
. She had a stellar 2006 campaign, which saw her win at Heusden-Zolder
in July, running a personal best time of 12.56. At the 2006 World Athletics Final
, she finished sixth in the 100 m hurdles and fifth in the 100 m. She also did well on the European circuit, winning the meet in Ostrava
. She finished the 2006 season ranked fourth in the U.S. and seventh in the world by Track & Field News
.
Jones won her first national championship in 2007, winning the 60 m hurdles at the USA Indoor Championships with a time of 7.88 seconds. In the European winter circuit, Jones won two meets and finished second in two others in the 60 m hurdles. In April, she won the 100 meter hurdles at the Drake Relays
. At the 2007 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Jones finished third in the 100 m hurdles, thereby earning a spot on the U.S. Team at the World Championships in Osaka
, Japan, where she finished 6th. On the summer track circuit, Jones won meets at Rethimno and Heusden
along with second-place finishes at Doha
, Sheffield
, and Monaco
.
. She began the indoor campaign with second place finishes in Glasgow
, Gothenburg
, and Stuttgart
in the 60 m hurdles. She then picked up a win in Düsseldorf
, setting a meet-record in the process. In Karlsruhe
, Jones ran a personal best time of 7.77 seconds and finished second to Susanna Kallur
, who broke the world record with a time of 7.68 seconds. Jones' time was the second-fastest ever by an American. She was named USA Track & Field's Athlete of the Week on February 12 for her performance in Karlsruhe. At the 2008 USA Indoor Championships, Jones won her second straight national championship with a time of 7.88 seconds and also won the Visa Championship Series title for the 2008 indoor season. At the World Indoor Championships
in Valencia, Spain, Jones won the 60 m hurdles with a time of 7.80 for her first world championship.
Jones opened the 2008 outdoor season with a first place finish at the LSU Alumni Gold meet in Baton Rouge, setting a stadium record in the process.
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Lolo was favored to win the 100 meter hurdles. In the final, she was pulling away from the pack when she clipped the 9th hurdle (of 10) and stumbled, breaking stride to drop her back to a disappointing 7th-place finish. Teammate Dawn Harper
surged through to win gold. Lolo Jones was seen pounding the ground close to tears, trying to comprehend what had happened. "You hit a hurdle about twice a year where it affects your race. It's just a shame that it happened on the biggest race of my life." Jones was later seen crying to herself in a hallway, mouthing,"why, why, why?" The mistake has been compared numerous times to Gail Devers
' famous fall in the same event at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
She began the 2009 indoor season in Europe, scoring victories in the 60 m hurdles with world-leading times of 7.82 seconds in Karlsruhe
and Birmingham
, England. She returned to the States and won the national indoor title in the 60 m hurdles. A hamstring
injury at her hometown meet, the Drake Relays, caused her to miss a month's worth of training but she returned in time for the outdoor national championships
. She did not repeat her indoor success, however, as she clashed arms with Michelle Perry
in the semi-finals and fell, missing out on the opportunity to compete at the 2009 World Championships
in Berlin. Vowing to salvage her season, she returned to Europe to compete on the major World Athletics Tour meets, but she only managed seventh and eighth in Oslo
and Lausanne
. She returned to form in Rethymno
, Greece, beating Priscilla Lopes-Schliep
and Damu Cherry
with a world-leading time of 12.47 seconds.
She faced strong competition on the European circuit: Jones took third at the London Grand Prix
behind Sally McLellan
and Perdita Felicien
, and a run of 12.61 seconds was only enough for third again at Herculis
. She ran her second fastest time of the season (12.51) at the DN Galan
meeting, but she was just beaten to the line by Lopes-Schliep. Her hamstring injury recurred at Weltklasse Zürich
, ruling her out for the rest of the season. Having missed the major championships and suffered injuries, the 2009 season was largely disappointing for Jones, although she took some solace from having run the second fastest time that season.
. Lopes-Schliep won the final race which left Lolo second in the overall Diamond league standings.
Lolo made her 2011 race debut at Aviva International Match, Kelvin Hall in Glasgow. Jones finished the race in fourth position with a time of 8.27 after hitting the third hurdle. A close third place finish then followed in Stuggart, with Jones finishing in 7.94 behind winner Carolin Nytra (7.92) and Christina Vukicevic (7.93). Injury and illness forced Jones to miss the rest of the indoor season.
A 2005 graduate of Louisiana State University
, she currently resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
and is sponsored by Asics
and Oakley
. She is Multiracial
of French
, Native American
, African American
, and Norwegian descent. She is also actively involved in Christian
Ministry
.
Her good friend is Canadian hurdler Priscilla Lopes-Schliep
. Jones congratulated Lopes-Schliep for winning the 100 m hurdles final's bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In a CBC Sports
XXIX Summer Olympics interview with broadcaster Ron MacLean
on August 19, 2008, Lopes-Schliep commented on Jones: "We're good friends. I mean, she came up to me afterwards and said, 'I'm so happy for you guys' (Canada's first track medal since 1996)', like, 'You've been through so much', and she's like, 'right now everything should all come together for you', so she gave me a big hug, you know, I gave her a hug, and a very good sport."
In October 2009, Jones posed semi-nude for ESPN
.
for the Drake Relays
, she made a surprise visit to her alma mater, Roosevelt High School
, to deliver a pair of new Asics
running shoes for each member of the school's track team. She also delivered a $3,000 check to buy indoor practice hurdles and for improvements to repair the school's track surface.
In July 2008, while back in Des Moines for a send-off ceremony before the 2008 Summer Olympics
, Jones donated her $4,000 prize she earned from winning the 100-meter hurdles at the Olympic trials to Renee Trout, a single mother from Cedar Rapids, Iowa
who was hit by the Iowa flood of 2008
. Asics
and Oakley
each matched Jones' $4,000 prize, bringing the total donation to $12,000. After the sendoff ceremony, Jones flew with Trout to Cedar Rapids aboard a private jet provided by the Iowa Farm Bureau
to tour the neighborhoods affected by the flood, including Trout's.
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
athlete who specializes in the 60 and 100 meter hurdles. She won three NCAA titles and garnered 11 All-American honors while at LSU
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
. She won indoor national titles in 2007, 2008 and 2009 in the 60 m hurdles, with gold medals at the World Indoor Championship in 2008 and 2010.
She was favored to win the 100 m hurdles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but she tripped on the penultimate hurdle, finishing in seventh place. She went on to win silver at the 2008 World Athletics Final. Jones is the American record holder in the 60m hurdles with a time of 7.72.
Early years and high school career
Lolo Jones was born on August 5, 1982. In her youth, Lori "Lolo" Jones had a series of obstacles to overcome. Jones attended eight schools in eight years while her single mother, Lori, often held down two jobs to support her family of six. Lolo's father spent most of her childhood either in the Air ForceAir force
An air force, also known in some countries as an air army, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy or...
or jail. In third grade, the Jones family settled in the basement of a Des Moines
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
church. During the summer when day camps were offered at the church, Lolo would wake up early to avoid being teased by other kids if they found out she was living in the basement.
When her family was about to make another move, this time to Forest City, Iowa
Forest City, Iowa
Forest City is a city in Hancock and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Iowa, and the county seat of Winnebago County. The population was 4,151 in the 2010 census, a decline from the 4,362 population in the 2000 census....
, Lolo told her mother "Mom, I can't go to a city that doesn't have a track. I'm trying to pursue my dream." Lolo and her family parted ways, and she lived with four different families during her enrollment at Theodore Roosevelt High School
Theodore Roosevelt High School (Des Moines)
Theodore Roosevelt High School, usually referred to simply as Roosevelt High School or TRHS, is a secondary school located on the west side of Des Moines, Iowa...
in Des Moines. One of those families that took Jones in was Janis Caldwell, who had seen Jones compete at Roosevelt. While Jones stayed with the Caldwells after her senior year at Roosevelt, they gave her free rent even though Jones worked part-time at the Iowa Bakery Cafe, a small coffee shop
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
near her high school on 40th and University. During her junior and senior years, she lived with the family of Randy Essex, former Des Moines Register
Des Moines Register
The Des Moines Register is the daily morning newspaper of Des Moines, Iowa, in the United States. A separate edition of the Register is sold throughout much of Iowa.-History:...
assistant managing editor, and with the family of Des Moines attorney Kim Walker.
At Roosevelt, she excelled in the classroom, keeping her grades up and playing the cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
in the school orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
. Lolo, of course, also excelled on the track. She was named Gatorade Midwest Athlete of the Year and set a record at the Iowa state track meet with a mark of 13.40 seconds for the 100-meter hurdles.
Collegiate career
Jones originally intended to enroll at Iowa State UniversityIowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
through its Upward Bound/Science Bound
Upward Bound
Upward Bound is a federally funded educational program within the United States. The program is one of a cluster of programs referred to as TRIO, all of which owe their existence to the federal Higher Education Act of 1965. Upward Bound programs are implemented and monitored by the United States...
program. Instead, she followed the lead of elite hurdler Kim Carson, who was her role model and Caldwell's goddaughter. Carson was an All-American and national champion at Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
. Like Carson, Jones competed on LSU's track team.
In 2002, she was runner-up in both 100-meter hurdles and 4x100-meter relay at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. In 2003, Jones won the 60-meter Hurdles at the NCAA Indoor Championships. She was later part of the winning 4x100-meter team at the 2003 NCAA Outdoor Championships. In the 2004 indoor campaign, she finished second at the NCAA Championships in both the 60-meter hurdles and 60-meter dash. In her 2004 outdoor season, she won the 100-meter Hurdles title at the NCAA Mideast Region Championships, the SEC Championships, and the Penn Relays. At the 2004 NCAA Outdoor Championships, she won another national title as a member of the winning 4x100-meter team. Her terrific career at LSU saw her finish as an 11-time All-American and a 6-time SEC champion, and she is ranked among the top-three women for all-time in both the 60-meter hurdles and 100-meter hurdles.
After failing to qualify for the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in Athens, Greece, Jones found herself contemplating her future. When Jones told Shaver she wanted to retire from track, he replied, "I'll see you at practice tomorrow." Despite any second thoughts, Jones' heart led her back to running. Jones' financial situation also was still a concern, forcing her to choose between focusing on track and not earning a steady paycheck, or using her economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
to get a regular job. To save money, Lolo would leave the air conditioner off, which meant suffering through the hot Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
summer days. She also held several different part-time jobs after college, such as working at Home Depot, waiting tables, and a personal trainer at a gym. The part-time jobs helped her earn extra money and provided the flexibility to leave the country for competitions.
Professional career
After a disappointing finish at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Outdoor Trials, Jones finished second in her first professional meet at StuttgartStuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
. She had a stellar 2006 campaign, which saw her win at Heusden-Zolder
Heusden-Zolder
Heusden-Zolder is a municipality located in the Belgian province of province of Limburg near Hasselt. On 1 January 2006 Heusden-Zolder had a total population of 30,769...
in July, running a personal best time of 12.56. At the 2006 World Athletics Final
2006 IAAF World Athletics Final
The 4th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion in Stuttgart, Germany on September 9 and September 10, 2006.-Results:-External links:*...
, she finished sixth in the 100 m hurdles and fifth in the 100 m. She also did well on the European circuit, winning the meet in Ostrava
Ostrava
Ostrava is the third largest city in the Czech Republic and the second largest urban agglomeration after Prague. Located close to the Polish border, it is also the administrative center of the Moravian-Silesian Region and of the Municipality with Extended Competence. Ostrava was candidate for the...
. She finished the 2006 season ranked fourth in the U.S. and seventh in the world by Track & Field News
Track & Field News
Track & Field News is a magazine founded in 1948 by brothers Bert Nelson & Cordner Nelson, focused on the world of track and field.The magazine provides coverage of athletics in the U.S.A. from the high school to national level as well as covering the sport on an international bases. The magazine...
.
Jones won her first national championship in 2007, winning the 60 m hurdles at the USA Indoor Championships with a time of 7.88 seconds. In the European winter circuit, Jones won two meets and finished second in two others in the 60 m hurdles. In April, she won the 100 meter hurdles at the Drake Relays
Drake Relays
The Drake Relays is an annual outdoor track and field event held in Des Moines, Iowa, United States, in Drake Stadium on the campus of Drake University...
. At the 2007 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Jones finished third in the 100 m hurdles, thereby earning a spot on the U.S. Team at the World Championships in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Japan, where she finished 6th. On the summer track circuit, Jones won meets at Rethimno and Heusden
Heusden
Heusden is a municipality and a city in the South of the Netherlands. It is located between the cities Waalwijk and 's-Hertogenbosch.- Population centres :...
along with second-place finishes at Doha
Doha
Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
, Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, and Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
.
2008–2009: Major championship frustration
Jones started the 2008 season with hopes of making the 2008 Summer Olympics2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. She began the indoor campaign with second place finishes in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, and Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
in the 60 m hurdles. She then picked up a win in Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
, setting a meet-record in the process. In Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe
The City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
, Jones ran a personal best time of 7.77 seconds and finished second to Susanna Kallur
Susanna Kallur
Susanna Elisabeth Kallur is a Swedish athlete competing mainly in sprint hurdles. She has won several international medals, including the gold medal in the 100 m hurdles at the 2006 European Athletics Championships...
, who broke the world record with a time of 7.68 seconds. Jones' time was the second-fastest ever by an American. She was named USA Track & Field's Athlete of the Week on February 12 for her performance in Karlsruhe. At the 2008 USA Indoor Championships, Jones won her second straight national championship with a time of 7.88 seconds and also won the Visa Championship Series title for the 2008 indoor season. At the World Indoor Championships
2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Luis Puig Palace in Valencia, Spain, March 7-9, 2008.-Bid:Valencia was announced the winning bidder by the IAAF on November 13, 2005 at an IAAF Council meeting in Moscow, Russia.-Men:...
in Valencia, Spain, Jones won the 60 m hurdles with a time of 7.80 for her first world championship.
Jones opened the 2008 outdoor season with a first place finish at the LSU Alumni Gold meet in Baton Rouge, setting a stadium record in the process.
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Lolo was favored to win the 100 meter hurdles. In the final, she was pulling away from the pack when she clipped the 9th hurdle (of 10) and stumbled, breaking stride to drop her back to a disappointing 7th-place finish. Teammate Dawn Harper
Dawn Harper
Dawn Harper from East St. Louis, Illinois is an American track and field athlete who specializes in the 100-meter hurdles. She was the gold medalist in the event at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games...
surged through to win gold. Lolo Jones was seen pounding the ground close to tears, trying to comprehend what had happened. "You hit a hurdle about twice a year where it affects your race. It's just a shame that it happened on the biggest race of my life." Jones was later seen crying to herself in a hallway, mouthing,"why, why, why?" The mistake has been compared numerous times to Gail Devers
Gail Devers
Yolanda Gail Devers is a retired three-time Olympic champion in track and field for the US Olympic Team. Devers was born in Seattle, Washington, and grew up near National City, California and graduated from Sweetwater High School in 1984...
' famous fall in the same event at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
She began the 2009 indoor season in Europe, scoring victories in the 60 m hurdles with world-leading times of 7.82 seconds in Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe
The City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
and Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England. She returned to the States and won the national indoor title in the 60 m hurdles. A hamstring
Hamstring
In human anatomy, the hamstring refers to any one of the three posterior thigh muscles, or to the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the posterior thigh muscles, or the tendons of the semitendinosus, the...
injury at her hometown meet, the Drake Relays, caused her to miss a month's worth of training but she returned in time for the outdoor national championships
USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
The USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships is an annual track and field competition organized by USA Track & Field, which serves as the American national championships for the sport...
. She did not repeat her indoor success, however, as she clashed arms with Michelle Perry
Michelle Perry
Michelle Perry is an American athlete. At the 2004 Summer Olympics she placed 14th overall in the heptathlon competition...
in the semi-finals and fell, missing out on the opportunity to compete at the 2009 World Championships
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
in Berlin. Vowing to salvage her season, she returned to Europe to compete on the major World Athletics Tour meets, but she only managed seventh and eighth in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
and Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
. She returned to form in Rethymno
Rethymno
Rethymno is a city of approximately 40,000 people in Greece, the capital of Rethymno peripheral unit in the island of Crete. It was built in antiquity , even though was never a competitive Minoan centre...
, Greece, beating Priscilla Lopes-Schliep
Priscilla Lopes-Schliep
Priscilla Lopes-Schliep is a Canadian hurdler in track and field athletic competition. She was born in Scarborough, Ontario and currently lives in Whitby. Lopes-Schliep is the first cousin of soccer player Dwayne De Rosario. She attended the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.Lopes-Schliep won a...
and Damu Cherry
Damu Cherry
Damu Cherry is an American hurdler. Her personal best time is 12.44 seconds, achieved in July 2006 in Lausanne.She was banned for two years by the IAAF for failing an out-of-competition drugs test in 2003...
with a world-leading time of 12.47 seconds.
She faced strong competition on the European circuit: Jones took third at the London Grand Prix
London Grand Prix
The Aviva London Grand Prix is an annual athletics event at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in London, England.Previously one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League...
behind Sally McLellan
Sally McLellan
Sally Pearson is an Australian athlete. She is the current World Champion in the 100 metres hurdles with a time of 12.28s. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, she won the silver medal in the 100 m hurdles with a time of 12.64s.- Athletic career :Pearson was born in Sydney and moved to the Gold Coast...
and Perdita Felicien
Perdita Felicien
Perdita Felicien is a Canadian hurdler.-Early life:Felicien carries her mother's maiden name, whose origins are in the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia...
, and a run of 12.61 seconds was only enough for third again at Herculis
Herculis
The Herculis is an annual track and field meet at Stade Louis II in Fontvieille, Monaco. Previously one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League.-World records:...
. She ran her second fastest time of the season (12.51) at the DN Galan
DN Galan
-External links:**...
meeting, but she was just beaten to the line by Lopes-Schliep. Her hamstring injury recurred at Weltklasse Zürich
Weltklasse Zürich
Weltklasse Zürich is an annual track and field meeting at the Letzigrund in Zurich, Switzerland. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League. One of the first large-scale international athletics events , it is sometimes referred to as the one day...
, ruling her out for the rest of the season. Having missed the major championships and suffered injuries, the 2009 season was largely disappointing for Jones, although she took some solace from having run the second fastest time that season.
2010 and 2011 seasons
Lolo defended her 60m hurdles Indoor World Title in Doha after finishing with a time of 7.72 (a new American record). Due to there being no major championships for Americans, Lolo then traveled to Europe and competed in many countries, mainly Diamond League events. After wins in Doha, Oslo, New York, Gateshead, and Monaco, going into the last Diamond League race, Lolo was tied at the top of the standings along side Canadian Priscilla Lopes-SchliepPriscilla Lopes-Schliep
Priscilla Lopes-Schliep is a Canadian hurdler in track and field athletic competition. She was born in Scarborough, Ontario and currently lives in Whitby. Lopes-Schliep is the first cousin of soccer player Dwayne De Rosario. She attended the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.Lopes-Schliep won a...
. Lopes-Schliep won the final race which left Lolo second in the overall Diamond league standings.
Lolo made her 2011 race debut at Aviva International Match, Kelvin Hall in Glasgow. Jones finished the race in fourth position with a time of 8.27 after hitting the third hurdle. A close third place finish then followed in Stuggart, with Jones finishing in 7.94 behind winner Carolin Nytra (7.92) and Christina Vukicevic (7.93). Injury and illness forced Jones to miss the rest of the indoor season.
Personal life
Lolo was named Lori at birth, after her mother, but started going by "Lolo, she says, in order to differentiate the two when telephone callers asking for "Lori" made the matter confusing. Though according to Lolo's mother, "Lolo" is what she has called her daughter from birth.A 2005 graduate of Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
, she currently resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
and is sponsored by Asics
ASICS
ASICS is a Japanese athletic equipment company. ASICS produces professional footwear and sports equipment designed for football, running, netball, tennis, badminton, squash, martial arts, cricket, golf, wrestling, track & field, cross-training, volleyball, cheerleading, lacrosse, and for many other...
and Oakley
Oakley, Inc.
Oakley, Inc., based in Foothill Ranch, California, makes sport equipment including sunglasses, sports visors, and ski goggles, as well as watches, clothing, bags, backpacks, shoes, prescription glasses, football and hockey eyewear, Golf gear and other accessories...
. She is Multiracial
Multiracial
The terms multiracial and mixed-race describe people whose ancestries come from multiple races. Unlike the term biracial, which often is only used to refer to having parents or grandparents of two different races, the term multiracial may encompass biracial people but can also include people with...
of French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
, Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, and Norwegian descent. She is also actively involved in Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
Ministry
Christian ministry
In Christianity, ministry is an activity carried out by Christians to express or spread their faith. 2003's Encyclopedia of Christianity defines it as "carrying forth Christ's mission in the world", indicating that it is "conferred on each Christian in baptism." It is performed by all Christians...
.
Her good friend is Canadian hurdler Priscilla Lopes-Schliep
Priscilla Lopes-Schliep
Priscilla Lopes-Schliep is a Canadian hurdler in track and field athletic competition. She was born in Scarborough, Ontario and currently lives in Whitby. Lopes-Schliep is the first cousin of soccer player Dwayne De Rosario. She attended the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.Lopes-Schliep won a...
. Jones congratulated Lopes-Schliep for winning the 100 m hurdles final's bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In a CBC Sports
CBC Sports
CBC Sports is the division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for English-language sports broadcasting. The CBC's sports programming primarily airs on CBC Television, with some additional broadcasts on bold, CBC.ca, and occasionally CBC Radio One...
XXIX Summer Olympics interview with broadcaster Ron MacLean
Ron MacLean
Ronald Harold "Ron" MacLean is a Canadian sportscaster for the CBC who is best known as the host of Hockey Night in Canada.-Early life and career:...
on August 19, 2008, Lopes-Schliep commented on Jones: "We're good friends. I mean, she came up to me afterwards and said, 'I'm so happy for you guys' (Canada's first track medal since 1996)', like, 'You've been through so much', and she's like, 'right now everything should all come together for you', so she gave me a big hug, you know, I gave her a hug, and a very good sport."
In October 2009, Jones posed semi-nude for ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
.
Charitable contributions to Iowa
While visiting Des MoinesDes Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
for the Drake Relays
Drake Relays
The Drake Relays is an annual outdoor track and field event held in Des Moines, Iowa, United States, in Drake Stadium on the campus of Drake University...
, she made a surprise visit to her alma mater, Roosevelt High School
Theodore Roosevelt High School (Des Moines)
Theodore Roosevelt High School, usually referred to simply as Roosevelt High School or TRHS, is a secondary school located on the west side of Des Moines, Iowa...
, to deliver a pair of new Asics
ASICS
ASICS is a Japanese athletic equipment company. ASICS produces professional footwear and sports equipment designed for football, running, netball, tennis, badminton, squash, martial arts, cricket, golf, wrestling, track & field, cross-training, volleyball, cheerleading, lacrosse, and for many other...
running shoes for each member of the school's track team. She also delivered a $3,000 check to buy indoor practice hurdles and for improvements to repair the school's track surface.
In July 2008, while back in Des Moines for a send-off ceremony before the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, Jones donated her $4,000 prize she earned from winning the 100-meter hurdles at the Olympic trials to Renee Trout, a single mother from Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
who was hit by the Iowa flood of 2008
Iowa flood of 2008
The Iowa flood of 2008 was a hydrological event involving most of the rivers in eastern Iowa beginning around June 8, 2008 and ending about July 1. Flooding continued on the Upper Mississippi River in the southeastern portion of the state for several more days...
. Asics
ASICS
ASICS is a Japanese athletic equipment company. ASICS produces professional footwear and sports equipment designed for football, running, netball, tennis, badminton, squash, martial arts, cricket, golf, wrestling, track & field, cross-training, volleyball, cheerleading, lacrosse, and for many other...
and Oakley
Oakley, Inc.
Oakley, Inc., based in Foothill Ranch, California, makes sport equipment including sunglasses, sports visors, and ski goggles, as well as watches, clothing, bags, backpacks, shoes, prescription glasses, football and hockey eyewear, Golf gear and other accessories...
each matched Jones' $4,000 prize, bringing the total donation to $12,000. After the sendoff ceremony, Jones flew with Trout to Cedar Rapids aboard a private jet provided by the Iowa Farm Bureau
American Farm Bureau Federation
The American Farm Bureau Federation , commonly referred to as the Farm Bureau, is a nonprofit organization and the largest general farm organization in the United States...
to tour the neighborhoods affected by the flood, including Trout's.
Personal bests
| Event | Time (seconds) | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55 meters hurdles | 7.57 | Gainesville, Florida Gainesville, Florida Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth... , United States |
March 2, 2003 |
| 60 meters hurdles | 7.72 | Doha Doha Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar... , Qatar |
March 13, 2010 |
| 100 meters hurdles | 12.43 | Beijing Beijing Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's... , China |
August 18, 2008 |
| 60 meters 60 meters The 60 meter band or 5 MHz band is a relatively new amateur radio allocation and originally only available in a few countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Ireland and Iceland... |
7.29 | Fayetteville, Arkansas Fayetteville, Arkansas Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks... , United States |
March 14, 2003 |
| 100 meters | 11.24 | Stuttgart Stuttgart Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million .... , Germany |
September 10, 2006 |
- All information from IAAF Profile
Competition record
| 2006 | World Athletics Final | Stuttgart Stuttgart Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million .... , Germany |
5th | 100 m dash | |
| 6th | 100 m hurdles | ||||
| 2007 | World Championships 2007 World Championships in Athletics The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007... |
Osaka Osaka is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe... , Japan |
6th | 100 m hurdles 2007 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 100 metres hurdles The 100 metres hurdles at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from August 27 to August 29.-Medalists:-Schedule:-Heats:... |
|
| 2008 | World Indoor Championships | Valencia, Spain | 1st | 60 m hurdles | |
| Olympic Games 2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events... |
Beijing Beijing Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's... , China |
7th | 100 m hurdles | ||
| World Athletics Final | Stuttgart Stuttgart Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million .... , Germany |
2nd | 100 m hurdles | ||
| 2010 | World Indoor Championships | Doha Doha Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar... , Qatar |
1st | 60 m hurdles 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Women's 60 metres hurdles The women's 60 metres hurdles at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships will be held at the ASPIRE Dome on 12 and 13 March.-Medalists:-Records:-Qualification standards:-Schedule:-Heats:... |
External links
- Lolo Jones' personal website
- Lolo Jones page at DesMoinesRegister.com
- Ultimate Lolo Jones photo gallery
- Lolo Jones' Oakley page
- Lolo Jones' Asics page
- Lolo Jones' Iowa flood relief website
- Lolo Jones Photos