It became official on Monday when USA Bobsled & Skeleton announced the U.S. Olympic team for the upcoming Winter Games, but brakeman Jasmine Jones effectively secured her spot earlier, earning silver with pilot Kaillie Armbruster Humphries in Altenberg, Germany, at the final World Cup race before the Games. The pair also won gold in St. Moritz, Switzerland, on Jan. 11.
Jones’ route to the Olympics follows a path forged by Vonetta Flowers, the first Black athlete to win gold at the Winter Olympics; both women were track athletes recruited to bobsled for their speed and agility. A sprinter at Eastern Michigan University, Jones caught attention during her senior year when a coach submitted her statistics to a talent identification competition. Bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor, now named to her fifth Olympic team, reached out, though Jones wasn’t sure what to make of it at first.
“I thought, let me go see what it’s all about,” Jones said. “I made the change to bobsled.”
The single mother of daughter Jade, 5, Jones needed financial stability while training, so she joined the U.S. Air Force World Class Athlete Program (WCAP). “WCAP saw what I’d done prior — making the national team and some of the bronze medals I’ve won in races — they saw the type of athlete I am and saw the potential,” said Jones. “They allowed me to … have the support from the military as far as pay and benefits so I can truly focus on my sport. Then, on the back end for my contract, I give my time back, which is fine with me because I want a career in the military.”
Jones said Meyers Taylor is a trailblazer for both her athletic accomplishments and being a mother. “Seeing how she perseveres,” said Jones. “We get exhausted, but she still shows up, and I commend her for that every time. Seeing her reminds me of everything I know I can do. It motivates me to keep improving. I constantly strive to be better.”
With WCAP in place and her daughter in school, this bobsled season, Jones has seen her hard work in summer training translate to results on the track.
“I knew that I can make these Games. I can win a medal in a race. I can have these top start times,” said Jones. “It does make me proud of myself to know that I have more of a ceiling to reach as well.”
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