Business Week is reporting that U.S. Olympic track and field star Lolo Jones has made the U.S. women’s bobsled team.
A committee selected Jones from among 15 other track and field athletes vying for six spots.
“They are just tenacious competitors that want to win at everything they do,” U.S. bobsled coach Todd Hays said of Jones and Madison in an e-mailed statement. “It wouldn’t matter if it was Ping-Pong, checkers or bobsled, they still want to be the best.”
Reports are that the pushers were evaluated on a combine test and results from the summer push championships which ended Wednesday night.
“We will have a strategy to rotate athletes in the sleds throughout the season based on what track we’re on and how they fit with particular drivers,” Hays said. “The good news is that we also have three drivers that will be fighting for the gold medal at each stop.”
USA bobsled officials started welcoming track athletes after the success of such greats like Herschel Walker, Willie Davenport and Willie Gault.
“Ultimately we will put the best team on the ice,” said Darrin Steele, CEO of the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, of the selection process for the men’s and women’s teams. “These will be tough calls. We have great veterans coming back, challenged by some impressive rookies that show lots of promise. This is as deep as we’ve ever been. We want to maximize our potential at the Olympic Games and that’s the spirit in which we make these decisions.”
The 30-year-old Jones has broken record in indoor and outdoor track, but may be more famous for her claims of still being a virgin.