Former Lady Tiger and two-time Olympic hurdler Lolo Jones will be an ESPN analyst at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships this weekend, where the No. 1 Lady Tigers will compete for the title.
Jones works out regularly with the current members of LSU’s women’s track team and said in an interview with The Daily Reveille on Monday that will help her while she works as an analyst Friday and Saturday.
“I think it’s going to make a job a little bit easier since I know them, I know their stories,” Jones said. “So it would make my job super easy if they win. But I think they will; they’re in a good position to win.”
Jones’ debut as an analyst was with Eurosport in 2009 at the world championships when she had the fastest time in the world in the 100-meter hurdles.
An injury kept Jones from competing, so she attended the meet as a sideline reporter, which she said was odd. She compared it to Kobe Bryant working as an analyst on the sidelines of a championship.
“I had the fastest time in the world, and I literally had to interview the girls as they cross the line,” Jones said. “And after the race I still had the fastest time in the world.”
The gig at ESPN this weekend would help her ease into a life after competition while also allowing her to stay involved in the sport she loves, Jones said.
“[Track and field] is a passion of mine,” Jones said. “Maybe one day, I’ll do [work as an analyst] after I’m done running. It’s another thing I’ll have on the résumé. You can’t run forever.”
Outside of her athletic ability, Jones is widely known for her tweets, some of which have caused controversy. Her Twitter account has 344,046 followers.
Jones said she’ll keep the world updated during her time at the championship meet, but she’ll keep it business on TV and save the jokes for Twitter.
“I’ll probably tweet the stuff I can’t say on TV,” Jones said.
FILE - In this Oct. 5, 2012 file photo, Lolo Jones competes in the U.S. women's bobsled push championships in Lake Placid, N.Y. Jones is hooked on bobsledding. Not only did the Olympic hurdler survive and enjoy her first season with the U.S. national team, she says she's committed to a run at the 2014 Sochi Games. (AP Photo/Michael Lynch, File)
