(CMR) United States athlete Erin Jackson won gold in speedskating at the Beijing Games, making her the first Black woman to win a speedskating medal at the Winter Olympics.
Jackson (29) won the 500 meters Sunday with a time of 37.04 seconds, giving the American speedskating program its first speedskating medal of the Winter Olympics and first individual medal since 2010.
Jackson, who was in the second-to-last group to skate, blazed through the track with a time of 37.04.
Before becoming a speed skater on the ice, Jackson was a competitive inline and roller derby skater. However, she switched to speed skating on ice in time for the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. She qualified for the 500m event with only a few months of experience under her belt. However, she ultimately finished in 24th place.
Last year, Jackson also became the first Black woman to win in the Speedskating World Cup.
Japan's Miho Takagi and Russian Olympic Committee's Angelina Golicova won the silver and bronze medals respectively.
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