“Sometimes you think the storm will drown you… Then you realize you’ve grown gills.” For Tia Jones, that quote isn’t just poetic. It’s personal. Just over a year ago, a devastating ACL tear in February 2024 crushed her Olympic hopes, striking just as the U.S. Trials loomed on the horizon. For most, that might’ve spelled the end. But for Jones, it was merely the beginning of a quieter kind of fight. One not for gold or glory, but for trust in her own body again. And a look at her season thus far, you know why she is back with a purpose bigger than mere numbers and medals. So how has her run been so far?
In 2025, the 100m hurdler is rewriting her story one stride at a time. She stormed back to victory at the Texas Relays in March, clocking 12.57, and then again made a confident comeback at the Kingston Grand Slam Track which she entered last minute as a challenger and left quite an impression. Then Jones returned to turn heads in Miami by clocking 12.19s, just behind Olympic champion, Masai Russell who finished at 12.17s. And now, as she lines up at the Atlanta Games, Jones makes one thing clear. This isn’t about chasing world records. Not yet. In a sport obsessed with numbers, Tia Jones is proving that the most powerful comeback might just be the one that doesn’t sprint toward the headlines.
CITIUS MAG took to YouTube, posting a heartfelt interview with Tia Jones that captured far more than her stat. In the video, the rising hurdler explained why chasing times just isn’t the mission right now. “I don’t put any numbers down…don’t run for time. I run for technique, placements and, um, you know, giving it all for Adidas. So we’ll see. We’ll see.” It’s a mantra that shows Jones is tuned into a different frequency. One where mastery of movement matters more than medals. And while the world may obsess over numbers, Jones and her camp are building something slower and stronger. “We’re not goaling for any world record breaks this weekend, but you know, if it happens, it happens. But, you know, we don’t run to break world records. You just run because you love to run,” she added, with a calm clarity that could only come from someone who’s truly been through it.
Back in Miami, when Jones clocked a blistering 12.19 in the 100m hurdles. A time brushing against the edge of world-class. Her reaction was raw and real. “I was kind of like, dang, we really ran that. We did it, it’s us,” she said, reliving the moment the wind-legal confirmation (+2.0) came through. Even the interviewer was caught off guard by the surreal conditions. But for Jones, it wasn’t just about the wind or the watch. It was validation. Proof that despite an ACL tear in 2024 and an Achilles injury in 2021, she still had the fire. Her message to her younger self? That the comeback is always bigger than the setback.
Now with the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo fast approaching, Tia’s focus is crystal clear: trust the process. “My mindset now is just to put my trust into the coach, my coach, Coach Bailey. Everything she says, do it. I’m more so an athlete. Whatever coach tells me to do, I’m gonna do it.” That coach is none other than Tonja Buford-Bailey. A three-time Olympian and a force in Tia’s resurgence. With the court cases behind her and her training block now yielding times like 12.49 at the Texas Invitational, Jones is living proof that healing both physical and emotional is a powerful catalyst. Her 2025 season isn’t just a comeback; it’s a quiet revolution.
After injury and heartbreak, Tia Jones still runs with fire in her veins
At the inaugural Grand Slam Track meet in Kingston, Jamaica, Tia Jones delivered a resounding reminder that she’s far from finished. On April 5, 2025, she stormed to victory in the 100m hurdles final, clocking a world-leading 12.63 seconds and outpacing Olympic champion Danielle Williams and Tokyo bronze medalist Jasmine Camacho-Quinn both finishing in 12.70. It was a statement win, but Jones wasn’t done. The next day, despite battling a brutal -3.4 m/s headwind in the 100m dash, she still managed a 12.26 finish and placed sixth. A performance that may not have won medals but clearly showed she’s building momentum.
But Tia’s name nearly etched into the record books again just weeks later. At the Miami Grand Slam Track, the spotlight belonged to Masai Russell’s American record-breaking 12.17 run in the 100m hurdles but Jones was right there, dangerously close to history. And that’s what makes her rise so gripping. Jones has had every reason to stop. In 2021, she tore her Achilles. An injury that can end elite careers in a heartbeat. Her comeback was derailed again by a hamstring injury, taking her out of the Tokyo Olympic Trials. Then, heartbreak struck again in 2024 when she tore her ACL during the USATF Indoor Championships.
And if the physical setbacks weren’t enough, 2025 tested her spirit in even more personal ways. In March, she endured a very public and emotional breakup with NFL star Xavier Worthy. A storm that unfolded on social media as much as it did behind closed doors. Yet through all of it, Tia Jones hasn’t just kept running. She’s kept rising. Her resilience isn’t just physical; it’s deeply emotional. She continues to meet every new season not with excuses but with energy, delivering on the track and inspiring off it.
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