Lolo Jones will not be the push athlete/brakeman for the top U.S. Women's Olympic Bobsled Team competing in Sochi for the 2014 Winter Olympics, which may be a shock to the conspiracy theorists claiming that Jones' popularity has helped her receive benefits she does not deserve.
USA TODAY Sports reported the announcement of the three U.S. teams that will compete for gold in the two-woman bobsled competition. Jones' fellow track-and-field star Lauryn Williams was named to the top team, which was definitely a shock all involved with or that follow the U.S. bobsled team.
It was almost a given that No. 1 driver Elana Meyers would be paired with brakeman Aja Evans, who was on Meyers' sled for five of the six World Cup races the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation used to determine the three drivers and three brakeman that would represent the U.S. team.
Meyers and Evans medaled five times in the races - three first-place and two second-place results.
According to USA TODAY Sports, Williams rated as the top brakeman after two days of unofficial training at the Sanki Sliding Center and close examination of start times - the initial push of the bobsled before the athletes hop in.
No. 2 driver Jamie Greubel will be paired with Evans; Jones gets No. 3 driver Jazmine Fenlator.
"One of the unique things about the sport of bobsled is that every track and every start is different," U.S. bobsled and skeleton CEO Darrin Steele said. "We have the luxury of aligning the optimal combinations due to our amazing depth of push athletes. Some tracks are going to favor the explosive acceleration that Aja provides and others that will favor the higher top-end speed that Lauryn can offer.
"When races come down to hundredths of a second, you have to optimize the combinations for the Olympic track, which slightly favors the Meyers-Williams combination. Aja and Jamie also have a history of success, so I'm excited these teams compete. All three teams have the ability to get on the podium."
Jones, whose missed opportunities to medal in the 100-meter hurdles in the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics are well-documented, will have an uphill battle to medal with Fenlator - if their World Cup races are any indication.
They raced together three times this season, with finishes of 15th, seventh and eighth.
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