American speed skater Bowe seeks golden Games farewell

Jan 7 : American speed skater ‌Brittany Bowe has one burning ambition left to achieve as she prepares for her final Games at Milano-Cortina - the elusive Olympic gold medal missing from her collection.

A six-times speed skating world champion - with three titles in the 1,000 metres, two in sprint and one in 1,500m - Bowe owns Olympic bronze medals from the team pursuit at PyeongChang 2018 and 1,000m at Beijing 2022.

The three-times Olympian also holds the world record in the women's 1,000m.

"I am still on the pursuit of an Olympic gold medal," Bowe told Reuters. "With that, just enjoying the journey after Beijing, I knew I had one more quad in me.

"To be able to finish my career in Milan with my family and friends and fans in the ‌stands is just going to be a great way to end it."

With the U.S. Olympic team trials having ‌concluded on Monday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Bowe has qualified for the 1,000m, 1,500m and team pursuit in Milan - just ahead of her 38th birthday on February 24, two days after the closing ceremony.

ACT OF KINDNESS

Bowe's most defining Olympic moment came not from her own racing, but from an extraordinary act of selflessness at the U.S. trials for Beijing.

Having qualified across three distances, she watched teammate and friend Erin Jackson slip during the 500m trial and lose her spot.

Bowe gave up her place so Jackson, four years her junior, could compete at Beijing. Jackson went on to make history, becoming the first Black woman to win Winter Olympic gold in an ‍individual sport.

"The older I've gotten, and the further in my career I've gotten, I've realized that it's so much bigger than just myself," she said.

"As athletes, we are oftentimes measured solely on our performances, our results, our accolades. But