On Feb. 13, Erin Jackson became the first Black woman to win a speedskating medal at the Winter Olympicsand it's gold.
Jackson won the 500 meters in 37.04 seconds, giving the U.S. speedskating program its first medal of the Beijing Games and first individual medal since 2010, The Chicago Tribune noted.
The silver went to Miho Takagi of Japan, while the Russian Olympic Committee's Angelina Golikova took the bronze.
Jackson, a former inline skater who switched to the ice shortly before the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, joined fellow American Shani Davis (who grew up in Chicago) as the only Black athletes to win long-track speedskating medals at the Olympics.
Jackson's gold came after the native of Ocala, Florida, slipped at the U.S. trials and shockingly finished third, putting her spot on the Olympic team in jeopardy. However, teammate Brittany Bowe, another Ocala skater who finished first at the trials, gave up her spot on the team to ensure Jackson could compete in Beijing.