By BOTWC Staff
Speedskater Erin Jackson records back-to-back wins and makes history as the first Black American woman to win the World Cup race, WTHR reports.
29-year-old Erin Jackson took home consecutive wins this weekend in Poland. On Friday, during the first 500 speedskating race, Jackson took the top spot, clocking in at 37.613 and making history as the first Black woman to win the World Cup race. Then, she followed up on Saturday, winning the second 500-meter race and breaking her 24-hour old record with a new time of 37.555 seconds.
Jackson is currently trying for her second U.S. Olympic team, defeating Japanese Olympic champion Nao Kodaira in both races. Jackson’s win, along with the two-time Olympian Brittany Bowe who won gold in the women’s 1,000 in 1 minute, 14.786 seconds, and two-time Olympian Joey Mantia, who won bronze in the men’s 1,500, make the U.S. look like a formidable competitor in the upcoming Beijing Olympics Winter Games.
Jackson, Bowe, and Mantia also hail from Ocala, Florida, a city that’s become a recent hotspot for the U.S. speedskating program. Back in 2018, just four months after taking up the sport, Jackson made history as the first Black woman to qualify for a U.S. Olympic long-track speedskating team.
An eye injury and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic prevented Jackson from competing internationally last season, and her previous best World Cup finish was in ninth place. Now, the speedskating phenomenon is coming for everything she deserves.
Congratulations, Erin! Because of you, we can!
