Olympian Lolo Jones has revealed the disadvantage of being a virgin, aged 42.
Jones is one of the most accomplished hurdlers in the world, having won three NCAA titles and garnered 11 All-American honours while at Louisiana State University.
She also won gold at the World Indoor Championships, IAAF World Athletics Final and the World Championships.
But off the track, her dating life has been a lot less successful.
In 2012, when she was in her late twenties, Jones revealed that she was waiting until marriage to have sex and since then, she has been very candid about her love life.
The American athlete, a devout Christian, has been open about her decision to abstain from sex but revealed the disadvantage of being a virgin.
"There's virgins out there, I'm gonna let them know, it's the hardest thing I've ever done in my life," she said. "Harder than training for the Olympics, harder than graduating from college, has been to stay a virgin before marriage."
Lolo Jones competed at the 2022 Winter Olympics as a bobsledder. Image: Getty During a 2020 interview with Kevin Hart on his Cold as Balls series, Jones said being so candid about her virginity was a mistake.
"That killed all my dates after that," she told Hart. "Before, at least I had a chance. Before, I'd like, tiptoe. 'Okay, when's a good time to tell him? Do I wait until he sees my personality a little bit? Or do I just drop the bomb?'"
The Olympian also believes being a virgin had also put her at a 'disadvantage' in sports.
She added: "Having sex actually helps you as an athlete, a female athlete. So, I'm running at a disadvantage."
Jones has expressed her desire to have a family one day and took steps to ensure it can become a reality in the future.
"I have made the right move to prepare for a family if me and my husband want to try to have kids one day, we have options," she said in an Instagram post in 2022.
"No one should be shamed for taking their time to figure out who their life partner is.
"A woman shouldn’t be shamed for wanting biological kids or wanting to know what it’s like to be pregnant and carry her own child."