Well, that latest Lolo Jones feel-good story lasted less only a few days.
Multiple media sites reported Tuesday that a controversy has arisen over Jones' selection to the U.S. Olympic Bobsled Team. USA TODAY Sports reported that three bobsled team members accused the U.S. Olympic Bobsled and Skeleton Federation of handing the final push athlete job to Jones because of her fame and her fan support.
Two of the accusations came from the brakemen Jones beat out for the spot - Katie Eberling and Emily Azevedo. However, men's team brakeman Curt Tomasevicz also questioned Jones' selection.
"It's hard for me to name one or two athletes that would completely agree with that decision," Tomasevicz said, according to USA TODAY Sports.
Meanwhile, Sports on Earth writer Selena Roberts accused NBC of playing a role in Jones' selection, saying the television network home of the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi needed a "sex-appeal substitute" for injured skier Lindsey Vonn, and Jones' profile was a perfect fit.
Roberts' father, Hal Eberling also was looking for answers about the selection process that led to Jones' inclusion.
"It's a mystery to me. I wish someone would explain how Lolo is on the team," Hal Eberling said, before Roberts added that he was remaining diplomatic despite the financial sacrifice the family made for Katie's tryout.
"Utterly ridiculous," NBC Olympics executive producer Jim Bell said retorted of the claim of his network's involvement in the selection process.
And according to USA TODAY Sports, Katie seemed to be in agreement in her father's bewilderment.
"I feel this year there was a certain agenda," Eberling said in a phone interview from Germany, where the team is training. She is a replacement athlete who will travel to the team to Sochi. "It's no fault of my teammates. There's been a lot of inconsistencies and that makes you wonder what's going on. It's not right.
"I know she (Jones) didn't pick herself. I know she's not the one to be blamed."
Azevedo, however, did make more of a reference to Jones.
"I should have been working harder on gaining Twitter followers than gaining muscle mass," she said, according to USA TODAY Sports.
U.S. bobsled officials vehemently denied any favoritism toward Jones.
"There is no doubt in my mind that people are disappointed that Katie and Emily did not make the team," Darrin Steele, the CEO of the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation said. "But it's never about publicity or marketing. The best way to market the sport is by winning.
"We followed the procedure and I'll stand by that decision all day long," Steele said. "It was a really close call. The numbers were close. There's no question about it. That always makes it more difficult. The trending was going toward Lolo and she's a great athlete and at the end of the day that's who we think is a better brakeman for the Games."
USA TODAY Sports added that Jones was in Germany with the team and unavailable for comment.
Azevedo declined an invitation to stay with the team as an alternate. Eberling will be an alternate but is unsure of her future in bobsledding.
"I love the sport," she said, "but it's definitely become tainted for me."
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