Much-loved American track star Lo Lo Jones has officially qualified for the 2024 London Games and she couldn’t be more thrilled about it. And apparently, neither can our nation as she’s seemingly always attracting a stream of media attention as a favorite Olympic athlete among many.
Jones qualified for the Olympic team Saturday night at the U.S. trials, and secured the final spot for the London Olympics when she finished third in the women’s 100-meter hurdles with a finishing time of 12.86 seconds.
Though Jones said she didn’t even expect to make the team when she woke up Saturday morning, she managed to rangel enough confidence to put on a good showing at the trials. But the track star admits the behind-the-scenes action wasn’t pretty.
“After the first round when I ran 13 seconds, I went back in as calm as I could, but it was not – it was like a reality melt down,” she said. Jones asked her coach if she looked bad and wanted a straight answer. “It wasn’t that calm. I was actually screaming. I actually threw a shoe. It was a nightmare.”
But despite the drama-filled qualifying rounds, Jones secured her spot and is now well on her way to the Olympic games, which will take place in London in July.
Although the public only sees Jones in peak shape on race days, there’s a lot of hard work that goes into preparation for those few big days. In addition to a killer workout routine, Jones follows a balanced diet to properly fuel her body for training.
In a recent interview with Women’s Health Magazine, Jones said while she could eat anything she wanted, she follows her coach’s advice who says your body is like a car and food is your fuel. “So I can’t just put unleaded fuel in my car,” she said. “I need that good premium fuel.”
Jones’ diet is is mainly clean, but she admits she can’t go long without her favorite indulgences: crawfish, dark chocolate, baby carrots and dip, steak and fruit. And she rarely goes a week without having a big plate of spicy chicken wings. Clearly, she knows how to keep a good balance when it comes to food.
As for training, no two days look alike for Jones since her coach, Dennis Shaver, likes to mix things up. In the fall she focuses on longer tempo training that incorporates Pilates. And in the spring she concentrates more on sprinting, and moves from running on grass to the track. One area that doesn’t fluctuate much, however, is her weightlifting routine, which she stays on top of every day except Sunday and Friday. Her workout routine is obviously serving her right as she has an amazing body to show for it.
Outside of her typical training routine, Jones knows how to enjoy down time by rock climbing, curling up to a good book, and getting in a good game of Dance Dance Revolution, which she admits is a rather embarrassing thing to admit. But we love that she knows how to kick back when she’s not training since adequate rest is incredibly important for elite athletes.
Be sure to tune into the Olympics as Jones battles some fierce competition in the women’s 100-meter hurdles. We will certainly have our fingers crossed for Jones to take home a gold medal.
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photo via exposay