Tearful Lolo Jones: Media 'ripped me to shreds' before race

[Cali_Democrat]

Nursing a broken heart from a disappointing fourth-place finish in Tuesday’s 100-meter hurdles, an emotional Lolo Jones fired back at her critics on Wednesday.

Jones opened up about a Saturday New York Times piece that compared her to Anna Kournikova, the former tennis pro known more for her good looks than her accomplishments on the court.

“I think it was crazy just because it was two days before I competed, and then the fact that it was from a U.S. media,’’ Jones told Savannah Guthrie before fighting back tears. “They should be supporting our U.S. Olympic athletes and instead they just ripped me to shreds. I just thought that that was crazy because I worked six days a week, every day, for four years for a 12-second race and the fact that they just tore me apart, which is heartbreaking.

“They didn’t even do their research, calling me the Anna Kournikova of track. I have the American record. I am the American record holder indoors, I have two world indoor titles. Just because I don’t boast about these things, I don’t think I should be ripped apart by media. I laid it out there, fought hard for my country and it’s just a shame that I have to deal with so much backlash when I’m already so brokenhearted as it is.”

http://todayinlondonblog.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/08/08/13179583-tearful-lolo-jones-media-ripped-me-to-shreds-before-race?lite

I feel so bad for her. She's a great athlete. All she wanted to do was win a medal for her country and people just want to spit on her

[HooptieWagon]

1. The media rips most athletes at some point.

Why should she be any different?

[frylock]

25. over their physical appearance?

and as she pointed out, she has made some accomplishments.

[Drunken Irishman]

30. Yeah. In '08, they asked if Michael Phelps was too ugly for superstardom...

It's been better this go around, but when he burst onto the scene four years ago, there were a lot of digs at his looks.

It's sad looks trump talent.

[frylock]

39. well, what has that guy ever done?!

yeah, it is sad. good thing the media wasn't like that when The Bambino was playing.

[Union Scribe]

32. Same shit they pulled with Gabby Douglas

My (least) favorite media ploy is spreading gossip while saying how terrible it is, and we have several prime examples from these Olympics

[phantom power]

2. last night I was thinking about what a mind-fuck it must be for the athletes...

having to compete and try to be focused under the olympic media microscope

[cthulu2016]

3. Which American should have lost in her place?

I don't know that her fourth place finish was unexpected. Which of her team-mates should she have beaten?

The finish order was:

AUSTRALIA
USA
USA
USA (Lolo Jones)

I also do not know that US media "should be supporting our U.S. Olympic athletes."

[hifiguy]

19. One more step and Dawn Harper would have caught

Sally Pearson. Harper lost by .02 of a second. That's as close as it gets. Kellie Wells ran a great race too. Those three are the athletes who should be getting the attention.

[Bandit]

35. Why shouldn't US Media support our Olympic Athletes?

Why should not every single American, and American business support our athletes? What's not to support?

[spanone]

4. so easy for some asshole behind a keyboard with nytimes credentials

[Rabid_Rabbit]

5. America's favorite pastime

tearing down people that have accomplished something. Just like the Gabby Douglas hair controversy.

[GoCubsGo]

14. It's actually their second favorite pastime--the media, anyway.

The first is hyping them to the point where they can't always live up to the hype. Then they tear them down. Or, ignore them altogether. Case in point: Jordyn Wieber. Going into the games, she was the media's Golden Girl. When it came to the women's gymnastics team, she was all we heard about. When she missed the all-around, she pretty much became persona non gratis.

They over-hyped Michael Phelps, and when he didn't place in that first race, they tore him apart, too. The same with Ryan Lochte. And, Gabby has been replaced by Aly Raisman as the Golden Girl. It's revolting.

[mrs_p]

6. I agree with her here

The NYT pretty much did a hit piece on her. Why two days before the race? Her crime is being a female athlete. Oh, the horror. Fuckers.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/five_ring_circus/2012/08/06/lolo_jones_2012_olympics_the_new_york_times_goes_after_the_olympic_hurdler_and_gets_olympic_sexism_wrong_.html?fb_action_ids=10151065642308880&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582

[LisaL]

15. I am pretty sure is that the sign of great athlete is blocking out all these distractions.

Can't blame media for this one.

[madaboutharry]

7. She had surgery and injuries this year and had

to struggle to even make the team. She missed a medal by a tenth of a second. It is an accomplishment.

The media loves to rip people down.

She's a nice person. People in Des Moines love her.

[yellowcanine]

18. She may be a nice person but she is WHINING about being broken hearted when she had an opportunity

which most people cannot even dream about. Sorry, but her situation doesn't come close to comparing with the genuine heart break many people face in the world.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

33. thank you

for being the arbiter of what constitutes 'real' heartbreak...

[yellowcanine]

40. You are welcome.

[Union Scribe]

34. When you work for something really hard

and don't reach the goal you've devoted yourself to, that IS heartbreaking. i guess you don't have any experience in the area or you'd know that. A lot of us peons have felt it.

[yellowcanine]

37. Sorry. Not buying. Not akin to losing a parent, spouse, child or friend. That is heartbreaking.

This isn't.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

43. don't worry...y'dog is just letting us know that y'dog is better than

'those athletes' because he/she knows what 'real' heartbreak is about...oh, and he/she is better than you (and me), too, since you believe that someone can feel real pain in a situation like not medalling in something you have worked countless years toward. that pain is shallow and unworthy of y'dog's concern.

sP

[AngryOldDem]

44. It's called a basic lack of empathy.

Of course losing a race does not compare to losing a loved one. Nobody ever said it did. But, when you spend years of your life working toward a specific goal and then coming just short of realizing that goal...well, it is going to hurt. A lot.

But whatever. Why do I even bother here.

[HooptieWagon]

47. There is only one winner.

Everybody in the race spent years in training and sacrifices. Only one is whining about it.

[RockaFowler]

8. American Medalists Unleash on Lolo Jones Coverage in Awkward Interview

http://gawker.com/5932936/american-medalists-unleash-lolo-jones-coverage-in-awkward-interview?utm_campaign=socialflow_gawker_facebook&utm_source=gawker_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

Why aren't we talking about the women who actually won the race?? Everywhere I turn today it's about Lolo. She didn't place . . . again.

[truebrit71]

10. +1

[joeybee12]

38. Lolo has no friends even among her fellow competitors...

She's a track and field grifter...get off the stage, Lolo.

[truebrit71]

9. She's had a rough go of it for sure, but she brought alot of it on herself...

...I am sick and tired of hearing about how important it is that your virginity is intact when you get married...

[MrBig]

11. I don't think that's bringing it on herself

I haven't read everything she has said to the media, but I have yet to see anything that resembled preaching or chastising of those who are not virgins at marriage. It seems when she discusses it, she talks about her own personal resolution to be a virgin at marriage and how difficult that can be.

People have chosen to make a big story out of her choice and that's on the media more than it is her.

[truebrit71]

12. And if she really didn't want to talk about it she could just stop...but she doesn't...

...and I'm sorry Lolo, no matter how heart-breaking it was in Peking in 2008, it doesn't automatically entitle you to a medal this time around...the other ladies ran faster than you this year as well...

[Union Scribe]

29. Oh, so that's what it is.

[mathematic]

13. I didn't hear her blaming the media when they were boosting her sponsorship value.

Americans get 2 & 3 and somehow it's all about Lolo. She needs to get real. Dawn Harper beat her in two Olympics, getting gold and silver. She's the one that deserves the media attention.

All Jones wanted to do was win a medal for herself. See, Pearson is virtually unbeatable and the other two medals went to Americans so those medals were already won for her country by better hurdlers. Dawn Harper for the silver and Kellie Wells for the bronze.

[ellisonz]

16. Media gotta hate.

[yellowcanine]

17. Well the media snark was unfair and unfortunate but....

she ran the race, not the NY Times writer. And to be "broken hearted" about missing an Olympic medal by .1 second? Please. A chance to even compete in the Olympics puts you at a level that many cannot even dream about. Sorry, hard to gin up a lot of sympathy for your "broken heart."

[malaise]

21. No one was beating Sally Pearson in that race

I do feel sorry for her

[Alduin]

22. Hearing about her virginity and her Christian beliefs really annoys me.

Who really gives a fuck about her?

She's the Tim Tebow of track.

[lindysalsagal]

46. The uber-religious think they deserve exceptional status

and then never get it that god just didn't want them to win that medal/game/husband/job/insert trinket here. God was really on someone else's side that day. Sorry. The religious posing didn't buy enough mojo from god. He didn't keep his end of the bargain.

This is why I avoid religion altogether: It messes with your head, and if you're an international athlete, there's always a camera nearby.

If she ever grows up, she'll regret that interview.

[alp227]

48. BINGO! I went on twitter and tweeted her this Mike Malloy video.

Please watch it if you feel you've lost some IQ points from reading her virginity comments.

[Dawgs]

23. I'm sure all of those endorsement deals will make her feel better.

She should be embarrassed.

[Union Scribe]

28. About what? nt

[fishwax]

24. I think the NYT article was misguided in some respects, but was right about the

extent to which the media has provided coverage to Lolo compared to Harper and Wells, both of whom won medals. Harper beat Lolo in Beijing to win gold and beat her again in the Olympic trials for London. But Lolo is the one who has gotten the media coverage and the bulk of the endorsement money. Now, in the wake of Harper beating Lolo again, winning silver (in an event where winning a medal at multiple games is pretty rare), most of the press coverage is still about Lolo Jones.

She's not the Anna Kournikova of track (a comparison that, incidentally, didn't come from the writer of the article), but the critical NY Times article is a function of the same media attention from which Lolo Jones has undoubtedly benefited, raising her profile and making her more appealing to marketers.

I was happy to see Jones run well, make the finals, and finish strong in fourth place--definitely an amazing accomplishment. I was also really happy for Dawn Harper and Kellie Wells, who overcame difficult personal circumstances, trained hard to be at their best, and were able to claim silver and bronze at the Olympic games.

[hifiguy]

27. Yep. They are the story here.

One step more and Harper would have caught and passed Pearson. Great race by all three of the medal-winners.

[AngryOldDem]

45. I was absolutely thrilled with Wells's finish.

"Runner's World" had a profile of her a few issues back. She had a hellish childhood.

I was so thrilled to see her medal.

[BeyondGeography]

26. It was a great race

Not really interested in the rest.

[Tom Ripley]

31. Nono Jones has that persecution gospel down pat

[joeybee12]

36. She is the most shameless self-promoter at these Olympics...

What a crybaby. She finished 3rd at the Olympic trials...anyone who followed this knew she wasn't a threat, but her PR made her into a big star for no good reason.

[Blue_Tires]

41. most of this she sadly brought on herself

but that NYT piece was a hack job...

[Cali_Democrat]

42. What did she do wrong?