Lolo Jones Loved, Sanya Richards Rejected
- By Jason Bennett
- Published 08/22/2008
- Other Celebrity News

America Still Loves Lolo Olympic hopefuls Sanya Richards and Lolo Jones both fought through obstacles in their lives with determination and discipline, reaching the finals of their respective track events and then leading the pack with only a few steps between them and Olympic gold. Then each suffered setbacks causing gasps in front of television sets across the United States, and each found themselves without a gold medal.
Yet the way each athlete handled herself in the wake of the enormous disappointment encountered has left public perception of the two at opposite ends of the spectrum.
Richards was seen by experts as the likely winner of the gold in the women's 400 meter run. She had won a silver medal at the 2005 world championships, and had only missed qualifying for the 2007 worlds because of an ill-timed sickness. She held the American record, set in 2006. And at the gun, Richards shot ahead of the field, drawing well ahead of all competitors.
Then the cruel
Lolo Jones had come on strong, winning several championships and setting records in the 60 meter hurdles. She was the favorite to hit gold in the Beijing 100 meter hurdles. Even though she had a poor start, she quickly caught and passed the field, pulling away and clearly headed for a victory. Then she hit a hurdle. The miscalculation cost her the event, as the misstep was enough to slow her and allow the competition past.
Afterwards, each spoke with television interviewers. While Richards blamed a cramp as the cause of her slowing, Jones accepted her own mistake and gave credit to the other athletes. Reader responses around the country showed empathy for Jones, while rejecting Richards for "making excuses when someone else was better."
So, even in defeat are these athletes tested; in sportsmanship, America gave Lolo a gold, Richards no medal.
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2 Responses to "Lolo Jones Loved, Sanya Richards Rejected" 
said this on 22 Aug 2008 12:47:20 AM UTC
I keep saying it - you people are so disloyal when need to be. Why don't you all go out there and run the race yourself then have something to say about it to the people and get their response about it. If she had won the race and still "blame (sic)" or told us about the cramp leg, what would you all have to say then. The media in this country is very trashy even the respectable ones. You all get out your beds every day and use words to ruin people's lives. I bet you sleep well at night for the sake of judging others. You people know how to show your true colors always, "no change, no difference, no life". No wonder both the children and adults are ruined mentally.
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said this on 22 Aug 2008 8:16:23 AM UTC
It is very simple, Lolo Jones is HOT!. Like the Dolphin caught in the tuna net, we all say " Save it, Save it", while uglier fish can rot and die....It is an HD world and Lolo Jones has the look.
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