Winter Olympics 2022: Best Reactions, Tributes to Erin Jackson’s Historic Win as First Black Woman To Bag Speedskating Gold

Eric Jackson makes history after becoming the first Black woman to win a gold medal during the speed skating portion of the competition on Sunday.

The 29-year-old Florida native has been rollerblading for almost her entire life and was able to win the highest achievement in the women's 500-meter speed skating race. The event at the Beijing games is the first gold that Team USA has won since 1994. The athlete managed to finish her lap in only 37.04 seconds.

Winter Olympics Speedskating

Four years ago in Pyongyang, Jackson made her Olympic debut after she switched from rollerblading to ice skating the year before. She was also the first Black woman to be chosen as part of Team USA's speed skater group.

While the athlete became No. 1 in the world, her return to the Olympic competition was not a guaranteed thing. During the Olympic trials, she stumbled and caused a hiccup for her run for the gold medal, NBC News reported.

But Jackson was able to get another shot at the Beijing Olympics gold medal thanks to a teammate, Brittan Bowe, who gave up her spot for the Black athlete. She definitely made the best of the decision, much to the love of many fans around the world. Many have taken to social media to express their reactions to the historic moment.

During the speedskating portion of the 2022 Winter Olympics, Japan's Miho Takagi reigned supreme with a time of 37.12 early on the event. The Asian competitor remained in the top spot the entire time until Jackson succeeded Miho's time.

Yahoo Sports reported that the Black woman made a strong start to her performance and continued her domineering presentation, narrowly beating the Japanese skater for the gold medal. The last American woman to bring home a gold in the 500-meter race was Bonnie Blair, who won three times, 1988, 1992, and 1994.

Another Opportunity

The Black woman was a student of the University of Florida, where she earned a degree in materials science and engineering. During the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, Jackson talked about her feelings about being at the competition and detailed her friendship with Bowe.

In an Instagram post, Jackson thanked Bowe for her incredible gesture and expressed her gratitude for her friend giving her the chance to reach her goals in Beijing in 2022. Jackson said Bowe was an "amazing friend, teammate, and mentor."

Despite winning the event's gold medal, Jackson said she had failed to do the job she was assigned to at the Olympics. She said she was not completely comfortable agreeing with Bowe giving her the spot in the speedskating event. Arguing that she technically did not qualify, she had no right to be in the global competition.

Jackson acknowledged that while she had a great season, her performance at the Beijing Olympics initially was not something people looked forward to seeing. She then thanked her friend Bowe for being selfless and making a grand gesture for her sake, according to NBC Chicago.

Tags

2022, Winter Olympics