Lolo Jones deserves credit for always speaking her mind, even when doing so might not be in her best interest.
For example, the Olympic hurdler-turned bobsledder talked about her frustration over the slow process of selecting the push athletes for the U.S. Olympic Bobsled Team, which likely will send three two-woman teams to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia in February.
Jones appears locked in a three-way battle for one spot with fellow track athlete Lauryn Williams and Emily Azevedo. Saying she was frustrated over the slow process wasn't what hurt her cause.
Saying the selection process might be politically based, however, is a different story.
She told her hometown newspaper, the Des Moines Register, about her uncertainty in earning a spot on the team.
"None," she said. "It's so frustrating right now, even for our pilots. They felt like they would have a sense of who they would be racing with, so even they're getting antsy."
According to the Register, U.S. contenders will travel to Europe for three more World Cup teams before the team is picked Jan. 19.
Jones says her faith has helped her patience in the process, but she fears that the selection may not be performance-driven.
"What's really getting me through, I've definitely been praying a lot more," said the 31-year-old Jones told the Register. "It's one of those things, in track I was stressed out - but you feel like you're doing it on your own. I've heard so many stories where (bobsled selection) comes down to, as much as you hate to say it, politics - like who gets along with who and that sort of thing.
"There are so many ways to qualify in bobsledding that it can be a little different. It's more like figure skating; it's (somewhat subjective). It's not a straight-up one race, one and done. When that comes into play, it makes you a little more nervous."
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