The historic gold medal won by American Erin Jackson, the first black woman to win gold in speed skating, marked the ninth day of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games. Never before has a black woman won a gold medal in speed skating.
Erin Jackson, the first black figure skater to win a medal at the Olympics
Erin Jackson broke barriers at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, becoming the first black woman to win a gold in speed skating.
In Calgary 1988, American Debra Thomas became the first black athlete to win a medal (bronze in figure skating). In Salt Lake City 2002, her compatriot Vonetta Flowers, in bobleigh, and Canada’s Jarome Iginla (ice hockey), were the first black athletes to win Olympic gold.
500-meter sprint
Twenty years later, American Erin Jackson has once again broken barriers at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games. She won a gold medal, the first for a black speed skater, after topping the podium in the 500-meter sprint. A curious story for Jackson, who switched from inline roller skating to competing on ice and was not even qualified for the Winter Olympics at the outset.
In just a few months, she managed to qualify for Pyeongchang 2018, where she placed 24th and, four years later, she flew in Beijing to make history at this year’s 2022 Olympics.
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