The 29-year-old makes history by becoming the first black woman at the games to win an individual medal in speed skating gold

During the women’s 500m speed skating event on Sunday, Erin Jackson came first in a record time of 37.04. 

With Jackson finishing 0.08 seconds before Japan’s Miho Takagi in second and 0.17 seconds ahead of the Russian Olympic Committee’s Angelina Golikova in third.

Jackson says she wishes that she could describe how she feels and that it’s been a tough couple of years.

“For this to come around like this I am so happy. It wasn’t the perfect race, I had a couple of miss-steps on the back straight, but I could pull it together,”

she says.

This comes after her teammate, Brittany Bowe, gave up her own spot to ensure Erin Jackson could compete in Beijing, after the gold winner slipped during early trials.

Bowe says it’s an honour to give her this opportunity and that she wants Jackson to fully enjoy this moment.

“This moment is all about her, I couldn’t be more proud to be her teammate,”

she says.

The last US woman to win a speed skating gold medal at the Olympics is Bonnie Blair in 1994.

Written by Savannah Pocock