Track Fight! Lolo Jones' Teammates Make For Awkward*TV

Even though the women's 100 meter hurdles event is over, some animosity is lingering within Team USA between silver and bronze medalists, Dawn Harper and Kellie Wells, and the fourth-place finisher — and an athlete who's become a controversial face of the Olympic games — Lolo Jones.

After Harper, the gold medalist in Beijing, made comments directed at Jones to Sports Illustrated's Tim Layden that drew some controversy, she and Wells went on NBC Sports on Wednesday morning, where Michelle Beadle asked her about those comments. After the jump is video (and a transcript) of the interview. It was ... awkward.

Video: http://sbnation.com/london-olympics-...ie-wells-video


Beadle: You thought you weren't getting enough respect ... Why is that?

Harper: I feel I had a pretty good story -- knee surgery two months before Olympic trials in 2008, to make the team but 0.007, not have a contract ... working three jobs, living in a frat house, trying to make it work. Coming off running in someone else's shoes getting the gold medal. Uhhh, I'd say I was pretty interesting. I just felt as if I worked really hard to represent my country in the best way possible, and to come way with the gold medal, and to honestly seem as if, because their favorite [CLOSE UP ON LOLO JONES FROM TUESDAY NIGHT] didn't win all of sudden it's just like, 'Were going to push your story aside, and still gonna push this one.' That hurt. It did. It hurt my feelings. But I feel as if I showed I can deal with the pressure, I came back, and I think you kinda got to respect it a little bit now.

Beadle [to Harper and Kellie Wells]: You guys kinda hang out together ... Is there fighting amongst the team -- we're talking about Lolo Jones if you can't figure this out -- is there an awkward situation or now that it's over we've all just moved on?

Wells: Well, I think that, on the podium tonight, the three girls that earned their spot and they got their medals and they worked hard and did what they needed to do, prevailed. And that's all that really needs to be said.

Beadle: Wow.

Harper: BOOM! Just like that.

Beadle: You can cut the tension in here with a knife.

Jones has heard criticism before, most notably from the New York Times, and Wednesday morning, in an interview with NBC's Savannah Guthrie, revealed how much that affected her state of mind.

"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."

I guess we'll find out how she feels about her own teammates taking her to task soon.

http://sbnation.com/london-olympics-...ie-wells-video

Haha, i never like that Lolo girl.
She got too much credit (or respect, or what u may call it) for a little achievement.

Go Harper!

Wow I like this Dawn Harper girl. She seems funny.

Having a medal >> being favored to win and not even medaling.

yikes

^ IKR?

has she made an interview already?
i wanna know what's her excuse

Lolo overrated

Lolo seems like a real bitch, tbqh.

Anna Kournikova: very famous for reasons unrelated to her sport, 0 grand slams
Lolo Jones: very famous for reasons unrelated to her sport, 0 Olympic medals

Lolo Jones is extremely overrated

It goes to show how little you know about the woman. DO YOUR RESEARCH! Lolo Jones is a TWO TIME WORLD CHAMPION in the hurdles (indoor). She is the American Record Holder for the indoor hurdles. She is a Continental Cup (formerly known as WORLD CUP) outdoor Silver medalist. Lolo Jones is a US champion in her event both indoors and outdoors. She is one of the most heralded hurdlers from the collegiate ranks all time while at LSU, winning numerous national titles both individually and with the team. This is the woman who would've won the gold medal at the Olympics in 2008 had she not clipped the last hurdle, but she did and now has to live with that moment for the rest of her life.

I know her personally while I was at LSU because she continues to trains and lives in Baton Rouge, LA. That woman does not deserve to be **** on like this. She worked hard and has been successful in her event. Lolo isn't much different from anyone, she jokes a lot with friends and is a very spiritual person. Before every race she tells herself, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Am I BFFs with her? No, but I have interacted with her on numerous occasions and she truly is a wonderful person inside and out.


Let's talk about how rude and classless her fellow teammates Dawn Harper and Kellie Wells were. Lolo has never made any remarks about them through the media to garner such hate. I'm most disappointed in a major American publication like the NY Times posting trash like they did about Lolo....just days before her event. How could one be so cruel? People are too funny! Lolo seems like a bitch? WHAT? How so? What has she done that shows she is a bitch? One could make that argument about Dawn and Kellie. Let's also get into Dawn sleeping in frat houses. Sis, what kind of walk of shame are you use to doing?

I am just furious that the fact she has to state that, "Honestly, I just feel like a big disappointment," she said. "So I guess all the people who were talking about me, they can have their night and laugh."

I AM FUMING at the rudeness of the media and spectators alike for beating this woman down like this. She just came back after a devastating injury last year with spinal chord surgery and multiple hamstring injuries. Through all that, she fought back and finished 4th at the Olympics. What shame is there in a 4th place finish at the Olympics?

Let's chalk this all down to what it really is: racism.
I feel bad for Jones, but she shouldn't be the star of the show.

Damn, you know you're bitter when you won, yet you're STILL bitter. Shame

This x20!!! Those girls should have a problem with the media NOT Lolo.

oh...why didn't she medal yesterday then

I think the biggest problem about them is that when Media really blows up about Lolo, she seems enjoying even in front of Dawn.
Plus, if you watch their press conference before the Olympics, Lolo looks disconnected with the two.
Kellie remains the classy one and she doesn't lie there on the interview with Beadle, those who finished top 3 deserved the recognition better than the failing others.

And to be honest, i only know about Lolo the most beacuse of her virginity story.
LMAO

She wasn't the better hurdler that day and the three ahead of her were. She won't win everything, nobody will. I fail to see your logic? My point was that Lolo shouldn't be painted as an athlete who has never produced wins and doesn't deserve her endorsements she has received, because she has several victories under her belt. Some of those victories being World Championship titles. She overcame a lot and shared her story, what is the big deal? Is she to blame for capitalizing on the media's interest in her? Lolo graduated from LSU in Economics and that's an impressive feat because our business school is an amazing one. She knows how to manage herself and her brand.