Lolo Jones named to United States bobsled team for Sochi

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."