Champion hurdler Lolo Jones wants a gold medal, the uplifting climax to a story fraught with setbacks and upheaval. But what she’d also like at the moment is a decent date – track guys need not apply.
If you were to imagine the kind of woman who is regularly frustrated about being single, the kind of woman who combs dating sites and Tweets her relationship status with great fervor, or the kind of woman who rarely makes it through a day without wondering if she’ll ever meet the right guy, chances are you wouldn’t be imagining a woman like Lolo Jones.
Jones is not only one of the fastest women on Earth, she’s also one of the most beautiful -- a 28-year-old hurdler who could easily moonlight as a model.
“The Olympians used to compete naked.” -Lolo Jones
Consider the surrounding photos, or ESPN The Magazine’s “Body Issue,” where Jones was one of the athletes chosen to pose nude (tastefully, of course), precisely because she is a mortal incarnation of the Grecian ideal. Recognition of this reality allowed her to overcome hesitations.
“I’ve been to Greece and seen the statues,” Jones explains trackside, one hot spring day at the Louisiana State University’s stadium in Baton Rouge. “The Olympians used to compete naked.”
Until a sculptor shows up on her stoop with a block of marble and a chisel, the photos should suffice. “I worked hard for this body. I wanted pictures for later.” Not to mention, she adds, “I thought maybe it would get me a date.”
Jones’ relationship status is confounding, and that she is so open about it is so odd that it’s kind of charming. (And maybe that’s the point?) She will tell most anyone who crosses her path that she’s on the hunt for love. She is a relentless dater of both regular and famous people, and hopes to one day write a book about the peculiarities of dating celebrities. (“I will name names.”)
Check out the July issue of Red Bulletin magazine for more of the article. To see it all, download the Red Bulletin iPad app.
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