World Indoor champion and newly crowned US champion Lolo Jones is now heading to China to take part in her first Olympic Games. She tells IAAF readers all about it…
“Hi guys,
“This is it. The preparations are all out of the way. No more rehearsals. No more excuses.
“The next time I will step on my blocks will be at the Olympic Games in Beijing. Wow.
“I’m back in Baton Rouge now after my second visit to Europe where I raced in Barcelona, Stockholm and London and I was fairly pleased with how I ran. Three races, three wins and all in the 12.5s and 12.6s which is what I wanted.
“My first race back after winning the US trials in Barcelona was quite tough simply because I was still a little mentally drained after the trials and it was hard even warming up and getting back into the routine.
“Although, it is going to be my first Olympics I feel better prepared than last year when I struggled to peak for the World Championships because I ran too many races.
“It is also important not to over-train or go any specials diets – if I want a piece of cake I’ll have a piece of cake!
“It is also important I put a lid on my training and not do any crazy workouts. Your instincts tell you to train harder but my coach, Dennis Shaver, has to keep telling me rest is crucial at this stage of preparation.
“It is obviously going to be my first Olympic Games and I’m really excited. I keep asking athletes who have made the Olympic team. How is it? What is the atmosphere like? What procedures do you have to go through? I’m also really excited to see other athletes in other sports, like tennis, because I’ve never been to a multi-sports competition.
“I shall also be looking out for Shawn Johnson, a gymnast, from my home city of Des Moines, Iowa. Iowa has a big send off for the two of us, and it is funny that we are both reigning World champions.
“I’ve also noticed since winning the Olympic trials people have started to recognise me. It feels weird people coming up to me when I’ve been shopping and they are offering to buy me dinner.
“Also I was at a gas station recently and someone said: ‘Are you Lolo?’ I said, ‘don’t you want to pay for my gas?’ But they kept on moving. It’s pretty cool, though, that America is finally embracing track. Mind you, I still can’t get a date, though.
“My mum and sister and her kids are going out to Beijing and obviously everyone has been asking me about my expectations going into Beijing. All I want is to run a clean race like I did at the US trials. I need the complete race.
“In Europe I’ve had races partly good and partly not so good. I’ve got to pull it all back together again. It doesn’t mean I have to win in Beijing but I would like a nice clean race.”
Lolo
Source: IAAF
A few weeks ago we had the really cool honor of praying for Lolo Jones at one of our Sunday services at HPC. Lolo is a great young woman who has been faithfully committed to Healing Place for years. Not only is Lolo the 2008 USA Outdoor Champion in 100m Hurdles, 2008 World Indoor Champion in 60m hurdles and BACK to BACK U.S.A. Indoor Champion 60m Hurdles in 2007 and 2008 but she will be representing the USA in the Beijing Olympics!
She said that HPC is a golden church that deserves a gold medal - and she will get us one in China! Wow! Definitely be praying for Lolo, as she is such a great young woman with a generous heart and for the Beijing Olympics as this could be a huge opportunity for the Gospel.
Source: dinorizzo.com
Just a few hours after she won the US Olympic Trials in a wind aided 12.29 - an amazing performance - World Indoor champion Lolo Jones can't sleep...so she decides to write to the IAAF readers...
“Hi again,
“Wow! I am sat here writing my latest diary piece at 3am just over nine hours after I qualified for the Olympic team by winning the US Trials in 12.29!
“I can hardly believe it. I am on such a high I cannot sleep and I’m so excited to finally qualify for the Olympic Games.
“I’m just so pleased the hard work has paid off. Four years ago I didn’t even make the final of the US Olympic Trials and now here I am as the US champion. I’ve always had confidence in my ability and I now think I’m entering my peak.
“I turn 26 next month and I remember the likes of Joanna Hayes and Gail Devers reaching their peak in their late 20s, early 30s.
“I actually really started to freak out ahead of my semi-final. The wind was blowing really strong and I normally don’t like a strong tailwind because it is easier to hit the hurdles and make mistakes.
“I nearly lost it out there, my heart was beating so fast but I had to tell myself to take control of my emotions and believe.
“In the semis I set a new lifetime best of 12.45 and I actually felt better ahead of the final than the semi. At least then I knew I was one of the eight people in the final and I had a good shot at one of the top three places.
“The final was a strange race. When I look back on most of my races I can say I hit hurdle five or whatever but in the final I was like a freight train and I just got into a rhythm. I crossed the line first but it wasn’t until I saw my name on the scoreboard for first place that I dare celebrate.
“People will talk of me threatening the world record of Yordanka Donkova of 12.21 after running 12.29 but people should realise that is a windy mark (a 3.8mps), so we’ll just have to see.
“Since running the final I’ve done a whole bunch of interviews and then gave a urine and a blood sample to the anti-doping people.
“I eventually sat down with my sponsors, Asics, for something to eat around midnight and then briefly spoke to my family on the phone.
“Now I’m sat here writing my diary, and because I’m on such a high I don’t know whether I will get to sleep at all tonight.
“I doubt it.
Til the next time”
Lolo
Source: IAAF