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USOPC Admits It Wrongfully Denied Lolo Jones a Medical Appointment

The acknowledgment raises questions about how Team USA provides medical care to injured athletes.

Overview

  • Jones says she injured her spine while testing a bobsled in March 2025 and experienced severe lower-back pain, numbness, foot drop and temporary loss of bladder control that later required spinal surgery.
  • She says Team medical staff never ordered imaging, so she paid for her own MRI after Worlds that showed a herniated disc, L3–L5 tears and spinal fluid leakage.
  • Documents reported in July 2026 show the USOPC acknowledged a scheduled Olympic Training Center appointment for Jones was wrongfully canceled before the 2025 World Championships.
  • The USOPC sent Jones a March 1 notice saying she violated the OPTC Code of Conduct and suspended her from training-center access, a decision Jones and her lawyers say was imposed without a formal hearing or witness interviews.
  • The suspension cut Jones off from Team medical and training resources, cost her about $100,000 in out-of-pocket care, left her off a national roster despite meeting most selection criteria, and has prompted renewed media scrutiny and calls for greater oversight.