Erin Jackson becomes first Black woman to win Olympic gold medal in speed skating
posted by Jacqueline Leibman | February 21, 2022 | In SportsOn February 13, U.S. speed skater and second-time Olympian, Erin Jackson, won the women’s 500m gold medal in a time of 37.04, beating Japan’s Miho Takagi by 0.08.
Not only is the 29-year-old from Ocala, Florida the first U.S. woman to win an Olympic speed skating gold medal since Bonnie Blair in Lillehammer 1994, she is also the first Black female speed skating Olympic champion.
According to her profile, Jackson only started speed skating in September 2017 after transitioning from inline skating. It was only four months later that she became the “the first Black woman to make the U.S. Olympic long track speedskating team in 2018 and the first Black woman to win a world cup race,” according to a statement released by Team USA.
This gold medal match almost didn’t happen as Jackson, a favorite for the event, had a mishap during trials placing her in third and out of Olympic qualification. Her friend and training partner, Brittany Bowe, ended up winning the event as well as qualifying for two other Olympic events.
Just when Jackson thought it was all but lost, in an act of true sportsmanship, Bowe announced that she would not accept the position—in turn giving her place to Jackson.
“Erin has earned her right to be on this 500m team. She’s ranked No. 1 in the world. No one is more deserving than her to get an opportunity to bring Team USA home a medal,” said Bowe in Team USA’s statement, a 2018 Olympic Bronze Medalist in the Team Pursuit. “After that unfortunate slip, I knew in my mind before that night was even over, if it had to come down to a decision of mine, she would have my place.”
Jackson is now part of a growing list of Black Winter Olympic trailblazers. Less than 24 hours after Jackson’s win, women’s bobsledder, Elana Meyers Taylor, won silver in the inaugural female-only event, monobob. Meyers Taylor was originally voted as one of Team USA’s flag bearers for the opening ceremonies, however she was in isolation due to a positive COVID-19 test, and Bowe went in her place. On Friday, she was elected as the closing ceremony flag bearer.
Jackson and Meyers Taylor are now joined in history with fellow Black Winter Olympians:
- Bonnie St. John the first Black American to medal (silver and 2 bronze, 1984) in either the Olympic or the Paralympic Winter Games. She won bronze in the Paralympic slalom event, after having her right leg amputated below the knee at the age of 5.
- Debi Thomas, the first Black American woman to medal (bronze, 1998) at the Winter Olympics. She competed in the ladies’ singles figure skating event.
- Vonetta Flowers, the first Black athlete to win Olympic gold (2002) in any winter sport, her choice being bobsled.
- Lauryn Williams, the first American woman to medal in both the Summer (100m: silver, 2004 and gold, 2012) and Winter (Bobsled: silver, 2014) Olympic games.
- Maame Biney, the second African-born athlete to represent the U.S. at the 2018 Winter Olympics and is also the youngest skater and first Black woman ever to make the U.S. Olympic short track speedskating team.
- Jordan Greenway, who in 2018, became the first Black player named to a Team USA Olympic hockey roster.
“Hopefully it has an effect,” Jackson said in Team USA’s statement, remarking on her historic Olympic win. “Hopefully we can see more minorities, especially in the USA, getting out and trying some of these winter sports. And I just always hope to be a good example like especially with helping kids see that they don’t have to just choose one between school and sports.”
Photo courtesy of Robert Scoble
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