VALENCIA, Spain -- Former Lady Tiger hurdles star Lolo Jones wrapped up her indoor season in style Saturday by winning her first career World title with a gold-medal winning performance in the 60-meter hurdles at the 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships.
Jones, who is also the two-time defending U.S. Indoor champion in the 60 hurdles, blew away the field with the second-fastest time of her career at 7.80 seconds in the final heat.
The native of Des Moines, Iowa, ran three hurdle races during Saturday’s competition at the Palau Velodromo Luis Puig as she advanced past the first round of qualifying with a time of 7.96 and earned her spot in the final with the fastest time in the semifinal round at 7.82.
Jones’ victory at the World Indoor Championships caps a season in which she won her second straight U.S. Indoor title in the 60 hurdles and captured the Visa Championship title as America’s top female performer during the indoor season.
“We’re very proud of Lolo and all that she has accomplished at the professional level,” said LSU head coach Dennis Shaver. “She has been a great ambassador not just for LSU, but for her country as well because she has quickly developed into one of the premier sprint hurdlers in all of track and field. She will be competing with a lot of confidence heading into the outdoor season.”
The ultimate goal for all competitors this season is earning the right to compete against the best athletes in the world at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, from Aug. 15-24.
If Jones’ performance in the past year is any indication, she is well on her way to representing the United States at this year’s summer games. In addition to winning a gold medal at the World Indoor Championships on Saturday, Jones competed at the IAAF World Outdoor Championships this past summer for the first time in her career where she placed sixth in the 100 hurdles.