Erin Jackson follows Olympic speed skating gold with World Cup season title

American Erin Jackson returned from her post-Olympic-gold-medal whirlwind to win the last two speed skating World Cup 500m races this season, capturing the season title and No. 1 world ranking in the sprint event.

Jackson prevailed at the World Cup Finals in Heerenveen, Netherlands, on Saturday and Sunday, clinching the title by adding up results from the entire season. She won six of 10 races, distancing 2018 Olympic gold medalist Nao Kodaira of Japan in the standings.

Brittany Bowe and Joey Mantia, fellow natives of Ocala, Florida, won season titles in the women’s 1000m and men’s 1500m, respectively, after also taking an Olympic medal last month.

On Feb. 13, Jackson became the first Black woman to win a Winter Olympic title in an individual event. It also marked the first individual U.S. speed skating medal since 2010 and first individual U.S. women’s speed skating medal since 2002.

Jackson’s gold came less than five years after she converted from inline/roller derby skating to the ice.

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