At PyeongChang 2018, Erin Jackson was a virtual novice in the sport of speed skating just four months removed successful career in inline skating and roller derby. Now with a full four years of training on the ice under her belt, Jackson has blossomed into the fastest women on the planet on skates.
Unlike her longtime friend and fellow Ocala, Florida, native Brittany Bowe, who specializes in the 1000m and 1500m events, Jackson’s focus is squarely on the 500m, where she is the top-ranked skater in the world. In November, Jackson became the first Black woman to win a World Cup event when she won both 500m races in Poland (she added wins in Norway and Salt Lake City in the following weeks).
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Even so, Jackson nearly missed out on qualifying for the event at U.S. Speed Skating Trials due to a stumble in her race. Bowe made sure the world No. 1 would get her chance to skate for gold in Beijing, though, giving up the Olympic Team spot she won in the event to Jackson. Eventually, karma prevailed and the U.S. was awarded an additional quota spot in the event, which will allow both athletes to compete side-by-side.
The women’s 500m is scheduled for 8 a.m. ET on Sunday, February 13, LIVE on USA Network. Sign up to stream every event at the 2022 Winter Olympics LIVE on Peacock. Users can also authenticate via TV Everywhere to stream events in the NBC Sports app or on NBCOlympics.com. You can also see a full speed skating streaming schedule on NBCOlympics.com.