Olympic hurdler Lolo Jones won America’s hearts back in 2008 as a 25-year-old LSU standout turned world champion who was heavily favored to take the gold in the 100-meter hurdles in Beijing. She competed on “DWTS” in 2014 partnered with Keo Motsepe.
Now Jones, who went on to compete in two more Olympic Games after a heartbreaking stumble cost her the gold, says she’s been banned from entering any Olympic training centers amid her rehabilitation for a severe spine injury that left her temporarily unable to control her bladder, among other effects.
GettyStill, Jones is looking on the bright side and finding strength in the outpouring of public support she’s received after opening up about the ordeal. On Tuesday, she explained in an X post that a big reason for speaking out is to hopefully prevent future athletes from facing the same roadblocks. She wrote:
“I’ve been reading everyone’s comments and support. It took me months for me to speak about this
thank you to everyone for the messages.
USOPC and USA Bobsled have a duty of care. I never want an athlete to experience what I did”
Lolo Jones Courageously Shares Her Experience With Struggling to Get Treatment for a Severe Spine Injury
After competing in the 2024 Summer Olympic Trials, Jones once again shifted her focus back to bobsledding. It was during this pursuit that she suffered a severe spine injury.
In May, she took to Instagram to share a clip from her final event prior to having spinal surgery for a serious injury, captioning the video, “Little did I know that I was going to need spine surgery following this race and I would be wearing a back brace for the next month.”
Then in June of 2025, Jones opened up about being banned from the Olympic Training Center.
She wrote:
“Before World Champs, I was injured in a Team USA bobsled.
The trip in the new bobsled was so severe I lost full bladder control and sustained a herniated disc, disc bulge, and multiple tears in my back
My sports med appt? Canceled with no warning.
Left in pain, with zero options.”
Jones went on to explain she believes she was punished and retaliated against for speaking out about the gap in care, and pleaded, “please support athletes as we speak up for athlete rights, so athletes are not denied health treatment while in pain.”
Recapping Lolo Jones’ Inspiring Career Journey
After her first Olympics in 2008, Jones returned for the 2012 Summer Games in London, where she finished just off the podium in fourth place in her signature event.
However, the determined athlete wasn’t quire done with her Olympic career. She made the unique move of pivoting to a winter sport, becoming the ninth American to ever compete in both the Summer and Winter Games. Competing in the two-woman bobsled event, she and her partner Jazmine Fenatorator-Sensabaugh finished in 10th place.
Jones then shifted her focus back to the track, and trained for the 2016 Trials, but withdrew due to lingering complications from hip surgery. She then went back to bobsledding, but did not qualify for the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Jones inspiringly competed in the 2024 Olympic trials as a 41-year-old, becoming the oldest athlete and the first woman in her 40s to qualify for and compete in the 100-meter hurdles at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials.
