Erin Jackson

Erin Jackson (born September 19, 1992) is an American speed skater, roller derby player, and Olympic gold medalist. Jackson is the first Black woman to win a Winter Olympic gold medal in an individual sport.^[1] She qualified for The World Games 2017 in Wrocław, Poland, where she competed in inline speed skating in various distances on road and track. She also qualified to compete in the 500 meters long track speed skating event at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

On February 13, 2022, Jackson won the gold medal in the Women's 500m speed skating event at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. She is the first Black American woman to medal in speed skating.^[2]

Early life and education

Erin Jackson was born on September 19, 1992 in Ocala, Florida, to Tracy and Rita Jackson. She has one brother.^[3] Jackson first skated at eight years old when she tried figure skating.^[4] Jackson attended Shores Christian Academy, Howard Middle School, and Forest High School where she was a member of the Engineering and Manufacturing Institute of Technology magnet program. She then went on to the University of Florida, where she graduated with honors from the Materials Science & Engineering program.^[5]

Career

Jackson won gold in the 500-meter inline skating race at the 2008–09 Junior World Championships, gold in the same event at the 2014 Pan American Championships, and was named United States Olympic Committee Female Athlete of the Year for Roller Sports in 2012 and 2013. She also competes in roller derby with the Jacksonville RollerGirls of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), earning the MVP award at the 2014 WFTDA Division 1 Playoff in Evansville, Indiana,^[6] and advancing to WFTDA Championships in both 2015 and 2016.^[7][8]

In 2016, Erin Jackson transitioned to speed skating on the ice. She qualified for the 2018 Winter Olympics with only four months of experience in speedskating on ice.^[9] Coached by Renee Hildebrand, Jackson qualified at the 500-meter distance,^[5] and finished 24th out of 31 competitors in Pyeongchang.^[10]

In November 2021, she won her first 500-meter Speedskating World Cup races in Poland with two track records, making her the first Black American woman to win in the World Cup.^{[11][12][13][14]}

Jackson won the gold medal in the women's 500-meter speed skating event at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China, besting the field by 0.08 seconds with a time of 37.04 seconds.^[15] She had nearly missed out on qualifying for the Olympics after slipping during the U.S. Trials in this event. Her teammate and longtime friend Brittany Bowe won the event but gave up her spot for Jackson to qualify. Jackson became the first Black woman to win a Winter Olympic gold in an individual sport.^[1] Jackson also is the first American woman to win an Olympic speed skating gold since Chris Witty in 1000m in 2002, and the first American woman to win the women's 500m since Bonnie Blair in 1994.^[16]

In March 2023, Jackson completed at the 2023 World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships and won a silver medal in the team sprint.^[17]

She represented the United States at the 2024 Four Continents Speed Skating Championships and won a gold medal in the 500 meter and a silver medal in the team sprint.^[18] Later that year, she competed at the November 2024 2025 Four Continents Speed Skating Championships and won a gold medal in the 500 meter.^[19]

In January 2026, Jackson competed in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Long Track at the Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She placed first in the Women's 500m and 1000m races earning a spot on the U.S. National Team heading to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.^[20] In February 2026, she and bobsledder Frank Del Duca were elected by their teammates to be the team's flag-bearers in the opening ceremony.^[21]

World Cup overview

Overall trophy

Source:^[22]

Personal life

In 2023, she was a contestant on Special Forces: World's Toughest Test, season 2; she was one of three contestants and the only woman to "pass" (make it to the end, effectively winning) on Season 2.

Honors and awards

• Sports Illustrated, Fittest 50: 2022 (#24)^[23]

References

1. ^ Schad, Tom (February 13, 2022). "Speedskater Erin Jackson becomes first Black woman to win gold medal in individual event at Winter Games". USA TODAY
2. ^ NBC Olympics. "History for @ErinJackson480. She is the first Black woman to medal in speed skating at the #WinterOlympics". Twitter. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
3. ^ "Erin Jackson Biography". Team USA. Archived from the original on June 18, 2021. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
4. ^ "Who is Erin Jackson?". NBC Olympics. Archived from the original on August 26, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
5. ^ Ross, Jim (January 9, 2018). "Erin Jackson is busy and focused". Ocala.com
6. ^ "Tournament MVPs - Women's Flat Track Derby Association". WFTDA. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
7. ^ "How A World-Class Inline Skater Is Shaking Up The Roller Derby Scene". ESPN. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
8. ^ Gardiner, Kelley (November 5, 2016). "WFTDA Champs: Day One Roller Derby Recap". The Portland Mercury
9. ^ "Erin Jackson goes from Ocala Cannibals to U.S. Olympic team". OlympicTalk. January 6, 2018.
10. ^ Janes, Chelsea (February 18, 2018). "In Erin Jackson, U.S. speedskating sees a bright glimpse into the future". The Washington Post
11. ^ "Jackson flies to first gold as ISU World Cup speed skating starts". ISU.org. Archived from the original on November 14, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
12. ^ "Jackson and Bowe brilliant in Poland" (in Dutch). NOS.nl. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
13. ^ Gariano, Francesca (November 13, 2021). "Erin Jackson Becomes 1st Black American Woman to Win Speedskating World Cup". NBC10 Philadelphia. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
14. ^ "Jackson becomes 1st Black American woman to win World Cup". AP News. November 12, 2021.
15. ^ "Erin Jackson wins first career Olympic gold medal in women's 500m". NBC Olympics. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
16. ^ Shintaro Kano (13 February 2022). "Erin Jackson's gold-medal story, co-written by Brittany Bowe, is "unbelievable"". olympics.com. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
17. ^ "Jordan Stolz Scores A Historic Trio Of World Titles — Again". US Speedskating. February 20, 2024.
18. ^ "Home ice advantage? Dawson, Jackson dominate in speed skating championships". Park Record. January 21, 2024.
19. ^ "Ocala's Erin Jackson kicks off speed skating season with gold medal". Ocala-News.com. November 17, 2024.
20. ^ Nancy Armour (November 22, 2025). "USA gold medal winner Erin Jackson qualifies for 2026 Winter Olympics". USA Today
21. ^ Phil Helsel & Rebecca Cohen (February 3, 2026). "U.S. Olympic flag bearers are gold medalist speedskater Jackson and bobsledder Del Duca". NBC News
22. ^ "Skater Profile - Erin Jackson (USA)". Speed Skating News. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
23. ^ "Sports Illustrated's Fittest 50 2022". Sports Illustrated. January 17, 2022.

External links

• Erin Jackson at U.S. Speedskating
• Erin Jackson at Milano Cortina 2026