Most people only dream of competing for gold and staying in the Olympic Village, but for Eastern Michigan University alumna Jasmine Jones, it feels a lot like coming home.
"It's really like being back at Eastern. The Village feels like a campus ... we have lots of time to talk to other teams in the dining hall or when I'm doing laundry. We have a resource center, snacks and nutritionists," Jones said.
2018 EMU graduate Jones is set to compete as a pusher in the Olympic two-women bobsleigh race. On Feb. 20 and 21, 2026, she will race in Cortina, Italy, for this year’s Olympic Games.
Before being introduced to the sport of bobsledding, Jones was a star athlete on the EMU track and field team as a sprinter. She took home several Mid-American Conference first place titles, was named a First Team All-American for her performance at the NCAA Championships, and still holds the record at EMU for the women’s indoor 200-meter dash.
“EMU definitely taught me the qualities that I need to be a good athlete: to be resilient and keep giving everything I have," Jones said.
Over a phone call from the Olympic Village, Jones told The Eastern Echo that she had never considered bobsled as a sport, but after her strength coach nominated her for an All-American Award, she had caught the eye of Elana Meyers Taylor, an Olympic bobsledder and, with five medals, the most decorated Black Winter Olympian to date. Taylor encouraged Jones to try out for the Olympic bobsled team, saying her stats were conducive to a good pusher. Jones took the opportunity, went to rookie camp, and placed third, securing a spot in the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Jones explained how highly competitive it is to land a spot on the women's bobsled team.
"In women’s (bobsled), you’re always fighting for a spot, because there's only three sleds, and only three women can race. It’s so competitive," Jones said.
Jones competed in her first bobsled race in 2019 and has since performed in three World Championships. She has earned one gold, one silver and three bronze World Cup medals.
This will be Jones’ first Olympics, and the reality is still setting in.
“It’s finally feeling real. Having officially met with being an Olympian when I got here shows that I finally met this goal; I’m really here … I am meeting my biggest goals and enjoying every moment," she said.
Weeks before racing was set to begin, Jones settled into the Cortina Olympic Village with the rest of the siding sport athletes before the opening ceremony Feb. 6, 2026.
“In a few hours, we will all put on our Ralph Lauren Opening Ceremonies kit and head out. It’s kind of like a parade — we all walk down the street and then watch the cauldron get lit,” Jones said. She and the rest of the sliding sport athletes attended a smaller opening ceremony in Cortina, while the larger performance happened in Milan.
In the weeks between attending the opening ceremony and race day, Jones and the rest of Team USA’s bobsled teams will train, work on recovery and sports medicine, and use the resources available to them at the village to prepare for the big moment.
The Olympic Village offers athletes large gyms and training facilities, dining halls and medical clinics with some of the world’s best physical therapists, chiropractors and massage therapists. Athletes can also enjoy amenities such as hair, nail, and beauty salons; entertainment zones; multi-faith centers; wellness programs; and free technology.
Although athletes room with their teammates, they can use these spaces to meet people from all over the world.
"We all watch TV together and just hang out. I’m also really into the pins, so I’ve been trading like crazy,” Jones said.
Olympians often partake in the tradition of trading pins during their stay in the Olympic Village. This unofficial event started in 1896 in the Athens Games. Participants, athletes and fans swap thousands of pins that are commemorative, show mascots or are sponsored. There are many dedicated trading centers in both Milan and Cortina.
EMU alum Jasmine Jones' collection of Olympic pins. Many athletes participate in this pin-trading tradition with their fellow athletes. (Courtesy of Jasmine Jones)
Jones also told The Echo that some of her competitors are familiar faces, because she often races these same athletes during the World Cup season.
“It’s cool seeing them in a different element. It’s the same people, just a few more cameras and different outfits,” she said.
Jones compared the Olympics to college indoor national competitions.
“It’s the same feeling, just a bigger stage,” she said.
Although the sports she has competed in are wildly different, Jones explained that the principles are the same.
Jones is also a part of the United States Air Force World Class Athletes Program and is a senior airman in the Air Force. This program allows top athletes to train full-time for the Olympic Team while maintaining a military career in the Air Force. Jones has been enlisted to the Air Force and has a contract agreement to train and perform in the Olympics. After she has retired from the sport, she will return back to the service in Supply Material Management.
For those interested in watching Jones and the rest of Team USA’s bobsled team, tune in to NBC or Peacock Feb. 15-21, 2026. Jones will be competing in the two-woman race Feb. 20 and 21.
