Floridian Erin Jackson selected to carry U.S. flag at Winter Olympics' opening ceremony

When American speedskater Erin Jackson won the 500 meters at the Beijing Games four years ago, she knew, of course, that it was her first Olympic medal. She also was aware that it had been a while — 28 years, to be exact — since a woman from the U.S. finished first in that event.

What the Ocala native had no idea about until days later: She was the first Black woman, from any country, to claim an individual gold medal, in any sport, at any Winter Olympics.

She does not want to be the last.

“It was just really surprising, I guess, because I felt like, ‘How could that be?’ ” she said at the U.S. Speedskating trials. “When you think about how many Winter Olympics we’ve had, I just thought it was really strange. I hope people can see my story and the stories of other Black women in winter sports and then, hopefully, we’ll have more coming up soon.”

They're not there yet.

Jackson will be at Games, which begin Friday, to defend her title and will also race in the 1,000 meters. The University of Florida graduate is among five non-hockey Floridians competing for Team USA in Italy.

On Tuesday, Jackson and bobsledder Frank Del Duca were selected by fellow U.S. athletes to carry the flag in Friday’s opening ceremony at Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium in Milan.

She said the honor “reflects far more than one individual – it represents my family, my teammates, my hometown and everyone across the country who believes in the power of sport."

The 33-year-old Jackson is the only Black athlete among the 21 speedskaters on the long track and short track squads for the United States at these Olympics, although this could be the most diverse Winter Games roster the country's had overall.

“I can’t imagine being a younger kid watching the Olympic Games and never seeing somebody that looked like me do what I’m trying to do,” said U.S. speedskater Brittany Bowe, a two-time bronze medalist. “For her to be able to do that, and she is now that face for young Black girls to be able to look up and say, ’She can do it? Now I can do it' — it's monumental.”

Bowe famously gave up her spot in the 500 four years ago to her longtime friend after Jackson slipped at the trials; an extra U.S. berth later opened up, allowing both to race in China.

Jackson, already the first Black woman to win a World Cup 500, took full advantage. She was focused on the piece of metal she wanted dangling from her neck, not the historical significance.

“We didn’t even think about that at the time. I didn’t even realize it until a day or two later,” U.S. Speedskating national team coach Ryan Shimabukuro said. “She’s proud of it, obviously. And I’m proud of her for it. But we didn’t really think about that, as much as: What is the best way to skate the fastest?”

These days, though, increasing the kinds of faces seen in her sport is one of Jackson’s goals, along with bringing home more hardware from Italy, after winning in both the 500 and 1,000 at the trial about a month removed from a torn left hamstring.

“I just hope that I can help other people of color get involved in winter sports and speedskating. … It’s really important to see people like you achieving something, because then maybe that can inspire you to try the same things,” said Jackson. “I just always want to be a good example or someone who other people can look to.”

When she's done competing, Jackson intends to set up a foundation modeled after EDGE Outdoors, a group based in Washington state that helps provide scholarships for minority women to get into skiing and snowboarding. Jackson has worked with them, reviewing scholarship applications.

Now living and training in Salt Lake City, she also has been involved with the Utah-based Sisters in Sports Foundation, which offers mentorship and funding for female athletes with disabilities.

“One of the biggest issues with winter sports is there is a really big barrier to entry around cost. They're really expensive sports to get into,” Jackson said. “That kind of limits the talent we can have and the people who can give it a shot.”

Jackson began as an inline skater at age 10 and won 12 world titles over 15 years. A track athlete at Ocala's Forest High School, she attended UF and graduated in 2015 with honors with a degree in materials science and engineering.

Two years later, she made the jump to speed skating and qualified four months after that for the 2018 Pyeongchang Games.

She has set six national records (including five in the last four years), earned 28 World Cup medals (16 gold), claimed five national titles, and earned her Beijing gold.

WUSF's Rick Mayer contributed to this report.