Lolo Jones secured her spot within the 100-meter hurdles at the London Olympics Saturday, however not before some shut calls.
Lolo had a sluggish begin Friday, finishing fifteenth out of a attainable twenty one qualifiers for Saturday’s semifinals with a time of 13:01.
In the initial race on Saturday afternoon, Lolo finished with the fifth fastest time of eight finalists.
She had to end within the prime 3 Saturday night to come back to the Olympics, and she or he did. Lolo finished behind defending Olympic champion Dawn Harper and 2011 U.S. champion Kellie Wells.
Until this moment, though, when Jones secured her spot on a second consecutive Olympic team Saturday night at the U.S. Olympic Trials, the smile had been packed away during a suitcase of concern and doubt.
The smile came back, though, when Jones finished third within the women's 100-meter hurdles final in twelve.86 seconds — securing the ultimate spot for the London Olympics.
In that moment, the smile and therefore the joyful bounce came back for Jones, who fought back from surgery last August and a combine of hamstring injuries to — once more — become an Olympian.
"I had my sports psychologist on speed dial one, my pastor on speed dial 2 and my mom on speed dial 3," Jones said of the pressure this weekend. "It was crazy."
The Olympic Trials champion was Dawn Harper, the girl who won gold in 2008 when Jones hit the second-to-last hurdle in Beijing.
Harper bested the stacked field during a time of twelve.77, simply earlier than runner-up Kellie Wells.
For Jones, third place has never felt this smart.
"I awakened (Saturday morning) and that i did not even suppose i would build the team," said Jones, someday when a disappointing begin during a prelim that cause her to interrupt the dreaded 13-second barrier.
"I was fighting a continuing head battle, simply attempting to seek out the boldness.
"I'm simply thrilled to possess another shot."
Dennis Shaver, Lolo's personal coach who guided her whereas she created a star-studded career at LSU, knew the challenge to form this Olympic team would be more durable owing to the surgery and injures.
He conjointly knew one thing else.
"She's a tricky person," Shaver said as he waited for Jones to surface from the Hayward Field track. "She's not the type of person you'll count out during a pressure state of affairs. i am not shocked she rose to the occasion."
The pressure to come back to the Olympics intensified to levels even Jones did not expect.
Jones became even additional of a national name this year with appearances on or in ESPN, HBO, the NBC Nightly News, Rolling Stone and additional.
The final days and hours before the pressure-melting final felt like "two married individuals bickering," Jones said.
"That's how each relationship was," Jones said. "With my coach, my family. (Friday), when the primary spherical, once I ran thirteen seconds, I went back in and, as calm as I may, however it had been simply not — it had been sort of a reality meltdown — i used to be like, 'Coach Shaver, i want you to prevent lying to me. Do I look bad?' "
"It wasn't that calm. i used to be really screaming. I really threw a shoe. it had been a nightmare. i am simply glad I got it everywhere, and that i have a month to arrange for the Olympics."
Shaver, her coach, pumped the maximum amount confidence into Jones as attainable.
"I kept telling here expertise means that one thing during this meet," he said. "She's been here. we tend to knew her best races were earlier than her (after recovering from injuries). and that we knew this (Olympic Trials) would be the toughest half."
"She's a tricky cookie."
As an on-track interview with Jones over the general public address system boomed into the chilled Oregon sky, Angie Jefferson, Lolo's sister, beamed.
"She's a fighter," Jefferson said. "I told her, 'Nothing has come back easy' or ever been handed to her. She fought."
Jones wasn't alone on the track Saturday night.
She was there. however therefore was her trademark smile.
"It's nice to examine that once more," Jefferson said. "She's got an exquisite smile, does not she?"
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