USA's Erin Jackson Wins 500m Gold; 1st Black Woman to Medal in Olympic Speedskating

Team USA's Erin Jackson became the first Black woman in the history of the Winter Olympics to win a medal in speedskating with her victory Sunday in the women's 500 meters.

Jackson captured the gold medal with a time of 37.04 seconds, which edged out Japan's Miho Takagi by eight-hundredths of a second.

The 29-year-old Florida native didn't initially qualify for the Beijing Games after a stumble during the U.S. Olympic Trials, but teammate Brittany Bowe stepped aside to give Jackson the spot.

"Erin has earned her right to be on this 500-meter team," Bowe told reporters in January. "No one is more deserving than her to get an opportunity to bring Team USA home a medal. After that unfortunate slip, I knew in my mind before that night was even over that if it had to come down to a decision of mine, she could have my place."

Bowe, who still qualified for the Olympics in the 1,000- and 1,500-meter races, ended up taking part in the 500 anyway because other countries didn't use their full entry allocations. She finished 16th.

Jackson, a former inline skater who transitioned to speedskating in 2016, finished 24th at the 2018 Games in her first Olympic appearance.

She made rapid progress to emerge as one of the best skaters in the world. She arrived to Beijing as the leader in the ISU World Cup standings in the 500 meters.

"I wish I could describe how I feel. It is amazing," Jackson said after Sunday's win. "This medal means so much. It has been a tough couple of years and a tough beginning for this year. For this to come around like this, I am so happy."

Her victory also allows her to join fellow American Shani Davis as the only Black skaters to win long-track events at the Olympics, according to the Associated Press. Davis won the men's 1,000 meters at the 2006 and 2010 Games.

Jackson and Takagi were joined on the podium by the Russian Olympic Committee's Angelina Golikova, who earned the bronze.