Erin Jackson became the first Black woman to win a gold medal in speed-skating in Winter Olympic history for the USA.
Her gold medal was the first won by an American woman athlete in an individual event in the Winter Olympics since 2002, and Jackson’s time of 37.04 seconds edged Japan’s Miho Takagi by .08 seconds for the narrowest of victories.
Angelina Golkiova who represents Russia took the bronze.
During the U.S. Olympic trials, Jackson slipped on the ice and finished in third place, a finish that could have kept her out of the 500 meters, but her teammate and friend, Brittany Bowe who finished first in the trials in the 500 meters, relinquished her position so that Jackson could compete in Beijing.
After winning the gold medal, Jackson, a 29-year old from Ocala, Fla., grabbed the American flag and skated a victory lap.
Bowe who finished 16th in the event congratulated her as the two hugged and cried.
Jackson said of Bowe, “She made a really big sacrifice for me, and I’ll be grateful to her forever.”
Also from Ocala, Bowe remarked, “Words cannot explain how proud I am of her.”
She continued, “I knew that she had the chance to do something really special, and she showed the world why she deserved to be here.”
As the stars and stripes fluttered above her head in the Ice Ribbon Oval, Jackson concluded, “It’s been a wild ride, but that makes it even sweeter.”
Looking back to the way she came to be the winner, Jackson recalled, “When I won the first World Cup, I was like, ‘Ok, that’s strange, let’s see where it goes.”’
Jackson added, “Then I won another and I was like, ‘Well, maybe I can do this.”’
The 500 meters is the shortest speed skating race, and Jackson’s coach, Ryan Shimabukuro, summed it all up by telling her, “You’re an Olympic Champion.”
Her gold medal was the 6th for the U.S. Olympians, and the USA remains in the hunt to win the most medals by trailing Norway, the leader of total medals won with 21. The USA’s Olympians have won a total of 12, six gold, five silver, and one bronze as of Sunday. Of the 109 events, 65 gold medals have been awarded.
Norway leads all nations with a 9-5-7 count for 21, ROC is in second place with a 4-5-8 count of 17, and Germany with an 8-5-1 total is tied for third with Austria at 4-6-4 for a total of 14 each. The medal count is based on the end of Sunday’s competition.