Lolo Jones, a renowned athlete who has showcased her talents in both the Summer and Winter Olympics, has launched a scathing critique against USA Bobsled and the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC). Her allegations center on claims of negligence after being allegedly deprived of necessary medical intervention following a serious spinal injury from a bobsled crash.
The 43-year-old, once celebrated for her prowess on the track, now asserts that the USOPC’s disregard for adequate medical treatment might have risked her facing paralysis.
According to a report from Zielhaus, which specializes in bobsled and skeleton news, Jones’s injury occurred during trials of a novel sled and racing position as she prepared for the 2025 World Championships in Lake Placid, New York. In the aftermath, she has grappled with debilitating lower back pain, numbness, unstable legs, foot drop, and even lost control over her bladder, as recounted in a post she shared on X.
“Why I’ve been off social for so long…For months, I couldn’t talk about this,” Jones revealed on X earlier this week, while pointing readers to an article from the Zielhaus Substack page. “Please someone help stop what they are doing at USA Bobsled.”
Despite such troubling symptoms, Jones claims she was denied various forms of care, including diagnostic tests and even simple massages. As reported by Zielhaus, she was granted just one massage session per week and had already availed of her allotment earlier in the week.
‘I was never even given an X-ray or an MRI,’ she wrote on X. ‘I wasn’t even allowed to use the ice bath to numb the pain.
Summer and Winter Olympian Lolo Jones has lashed out at USA Bobsled as well as the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) over allegations of negligence
Elena Meyers Taylor and Lolo Jones compete during the two-woman Bobsleigh heat 2 on day five of the 2025 IBSF World Championships on March 14, 2025. Jones was racing injured
‘The worst part? USA Bobsled and the USOPC put me back in a bobsled without ever ordering an MRI or properly evaluating my injury, risking permanent paralysis.’
Jones would go on to compete in the 2025 World Championships, where she and pilot Meyers Taylor finished sixth. It was only after that event that she learned the extent of her injuries, and she now believes she risked serious health issues by competing in Lake Placid.
‘I did not even know my spine was seriously injured,’ she continued. ‘I just knew I was in pain That’s why I got back in a Bobsled.
‘Had my pilot hit a wall,’ she concluded, ‘I would be paralyzed today.’
And the pushback didn’t stop there.
The USOPC banned her from the Olympic Training Committee after a reported argument with an official, thereby denying her access to training and medical resources. According to Julie Marra, director of the USOPC Training Center in Lake Placid, Jones violated the OPTC Code of Conduct, although she stopped short of giving specifics.
Since then, according to Zielhaus, Jones has spent $100,000 of her own money on training and treatment, including the MRI that revealed a herniated disc, tears in three vertebrae, and leaking spinal fluid, not to mention her subsequent surgery.
Jones has been staying active during her suspension by pushing a Honda rather than a sled
Lolo Jones runs at the 2007 Norwich Union International Athletics meet in Glasgow
The USOPC has admitted wrongfully denying Jones medical carer, Zielhaus reported. The Daily Mail has sought further comment from USOPC spokespeople.
Jones’ ban has continued, although the Southern California News Group has reported that a partial reinstatement was offered on July 3.
These days, Jones is training by pushing a Honda because she no longer has access to bobsled training facilities.
A member of the Team USA bobsled squad at the 2014 Winter Olympics, she previously ran track at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2012 London Games.
She remains one of just 11 athletes to compete for Team USA in multiple sports.