Lolo Jones is not one to tread lightly, but even she admitted her latest gaffe could've been a costly mistake.
Jones was part of the USA Red team that also included Brianna Rollins, Queen Harrison and Vashti Thomas en route to a victory in the special invitational women's shuttle hurdle relay at the Drake Relays on Friday in Jones' hometown of Des Moines, Iowa.
USA TODAY Sports reported that the four-team race originally entered in the competition dropped down to three after a group that included two-time Olympic medalist Dawn Harper-Nelson and 2012 Olympic silver medalist Kellie Wells had to forfeit when another team member, Nia Ali, suffered an injury in warmups.
During the race, the USA Blue team had a member clip a hurdle - with which Jones is all too familiar - and left Jones' USA Red team to finish against a team from Jamaica.
The USA Red team clocked a time of 50.93 seconds, the second fastest relay time ever in the event, but Jones' leg cost the team a chance at the record of 50.78 second set on April 6, 2013.
"I made probably the biggest hurdle mistake you can make," said Jones, a two-time track Olympian with body language full of relief, to the Des Moines Register. "... I'm going on seven steps and something messed up and I stutter-stepped and did nine, which is pretty much unheard of in a 100-meter hurdle race.
"You're pretty much sitting in a coffin (crossing arms to illustrate) and just like, the race is over."
Fortunately for Jones, the event was a team-event, so her team was able to correct the malfunction in her footwork and overcome some of the time she lost.
"The thing was, though, that she finished the race," said Harrison, beginning to make an exaggerated gesture of interlocked hands heading for Jones' neck. "Because taking nine steps at the first hurdle - if she would've bailed out, then I would've been mad."
Jones said any win is a thrilling one. After her controversial inclusion in the U.S. Olympic bobsled team - detractors argued that she received the final spot on the team because of her popularity, rather than merit - she teamed up with Jazmine Fenlator to finish 11th in the two-woman bobsled at the Winter Olympics.
Jones probably couldn't afford to be blamed for another defeat.
Do you think Lolo Jones can work her way back into another attempt at the 100-meter hurdles in the 2016 Summer Olympics? Comment below or tell us @SportsWN.
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