Lolo Jones looks astonished at the time after her 12.29 sec windy 100m Hurdles win at US Olympic Trials (© Getty Images)
Just a few hours after she won the US Olympic Trials in a wind aided 12.29 - an amazing performance - World Indoor champion Lolo Jones can't sleep...so she decides to write to the IAAF readers...
“Hi again,
“Wow! I am sat here writing my latest diary piece at 3am just over nine hours after I qualified for the Olympic team by winning the US Trials in 12.29!
“I can hardly believe it. I am on such a high I cannot sleep and I’m so excited to finally qualify for the Olympic Games.
“I’m just so pleased the hard work has paid off. Four years ago I didn’t even make the final of the US Olympic Trials and now here I am as the US champion. I’ve always had confidence in my ability and I now think I’m entering my peak.
“I turn 26 next month and I remember the likes of Joanna Hayes and Gail Devers reaching their peak in their late 20s, early 30s.
“I actually really started to freak out ahead of my semi-final. The wind was blowing really strong and I normally don’t like a strong tailwind because it is easier to hit the hurdles and make mistakes.
“I nearly lost it out there, my heart was beating so fast but I had to tell myself to take control of my emotions and believe.
“In the semis I set a new lifetime best of 12.45 and I actually felt better ahead of the final than the semi. At least then I knew I was one of the eight people in the final and I had a good shot at one of the top three places.
“The final was a strange race. When I look back on most of my races I can say I hit hurdle five or whatever but in the final I was like a freight train and I just got into a rhythm. I crossed the line first but it wasn’t until I saw my name on the scoreboard for first place that I dare celebrate.
“People will talk of me threatening the world record of Yordanka Donkova of 12.21 after running 12.29 but people should realise that is a windy mark (a 3.8mps), so we’ll just have to see.
“Since running the final I’ve done a whole bunch of interviews and then gave a urine and a blood sample to the anti-doping people.
“I eventually sat down with my sponsors, Asics, for something to eat around midnight and then briefly spoke to my family on the phone.
“Now I’m sat here writing my diary, and because I’m on such a high I don’t know whether I will get to sleep at all tonight.
“I doubt it.
Til the next time”
Lolo