Lolo Jones Alleges Rights Violations by US Olympic Committee
Multi-sport Olympian Lolo Jones has accused the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) of “stripping me of my rights and nearly paralyzing me,” claiming they denied her medical treatment after she suffered a spinal cord injury during training in March 2025.
The 43-year-old stated that the USOPC and USA Bobsled have “completely destroyed me.” She shared her grievances in a post on X, linked to an article discussing her situation. An independent reporting body for the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) confirmed the injury news on July 23.
Reportedly, Jones experienced “severe lower back pain, numbness, leg instability, foot drop, and loss of bladder control” while training with a new sled position just days before the world championships in Lake Placid, New York.
According to the report, John Faltas, the USOPC Medical Clinic Executive, canceled a massage intended for Jones at the Olympic Training Center’s Sports Medicine Clinic without any explanation.
She was told that Faltas had already used his weekly quota of massages, leading to the cancellation of her treatment. Upset by this, Jones admitted to expressing her anger towards Faltas.
Eventually, the USOPC acknowledged that they had incorrectly denied Jones medical care.
Despite her injury, Jones competed in the 2025 World Championships and finished sixth in the women’s bobsled race alongside Elena Myers-Taylor.
Jones indicated that she was “never even given an X-ray or MRI” by the USOPC and was denied basic treatments like an ice bath to alleviate her pain.
After the championships, Jones took it upon herself to pay for an MRI, which revealed a herniated disc along with tears in her L3, L4, and L5 vertebrae and leaking spinal fluid.
While recovering from spinal surgery, Jones received a notice from Julie Mara, director of the USOPC Training Center in Lake Placid. The letter, dated March 1, stated that she had been expelled from the Olympic Training Center for violating the OPTC Code of Conduct, though specific violations were not mentioned.
As of July, the ban remained in effect, although a partial reinstatement was suggested. According to reports, Jones spent around $100,000 out of her own pocket for medical treatment and training expenses due to her suspension.
During her time training in Louisiana, she lacked access to Team USA’s facilities, forcing her to rely on unconventional methods like pushing her Honda on the road.
Jones was notably left out of the six women announced for the World Cup roster, despite her previous performance surpassing bobsledder Sadie McMullen, who ultimately was selected.
In her first social media post since 2025, Jones expressed her frustration about being unable to speak about her situation for months. She appealed for support in stopping what she termed mistreatment by USA Bobsleds and shared the link to the article discussing her case.
In another post, she stated that she had not intended to expose the coaches of USA Bobsled, humorously downplaying her writing skills and criticizing the selection process of the Olympic team.
Jones has represented the U.S. in track and field at both the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics before switching to bobsledding for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.
