Olympic Athlete Lolo Jones Claims USOPC and USA Bobsled Mishandled Serious Back Injury, Risked Paralysis

Olympic bobsledder and world champion track athlete Lolo Jones has alleged that the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and USA Bobsled endangered her health by withholding proper medical treatment following a serious back injury sustained during competition. The athlete broke her silence on social media to share details about what she described as a mishandled health crisis that nearly resulted in permanent paralysis.

Jones sustained a back fracture during a competition for the USA 1 brakewoman position in Lake Placid, New York, occurring just before the 2025 World Championships. The injury caused severe complications including acute lower-back pain, numbness, leg instability, foot drop and loss of bladder control, according to her account.

Medical evaluation later revealed Jones had suffered a herniated disc with disc bulge, tears across her L3, L4 and L5 vertebrae, and spinal fluid leakage. Despite these serious findings, she competed in the World Championships without receiving imaging scans or proper diagnostic evaluation beforehand.

According to Jones, the Olympic Training Center’s medical staff canceled a scheduled massage appointment, citing a policy limiting athletes to one massage weekly. John Faltus, a senior official at the USOPC medical clinic, made the decision despite Jones’ documented injuries.

Jones subsequently competed in a bobsled without undergoing required imaging or comprehensive injury assessment. She asserted that had her pilot struck a wall during competition, she would have suffered permanent paralysis given the severity of her spinal condition.

The athlete was later suspended from the Olympic Training Center and has incurred approximately $100,000 in personal medical and training expenses. The USOPC acknowledged that Jones was improperly denied medical care, though neither organization immediately responded to requests for comment.

Jones has won two World Indoor Championships in the 60-meter hurdles and two World Championships in bobsleigh events, though she never secured an Olympic medal. She called for accountability, stating that organizational leadership bore responsibility for the injury and subsequent mistreatment.