Erin Jackson became the first black woman to win an Olympic speed skating medal when she took gold in the women’s 500m event at Beijing... 2022.
In a story that sounds like a movie script, Jackson only made the USA team when Brittany Bowe offered to give up her place in the event because Jackson had finished outside the qualification places at the US trials. The 29-year-old had been a successful rollerblader before switching to speed skating in 2017. A year later she finished 24th at PyeongChang 2018. In 2022 though, gold was hers as she beat silver medallist Takagi Miho (JPN) 0.08 seconds. Angelina Golikova (ROC) took bronze.