Winter Olympics 2022 - From inline skating to Olympic speed skating champion - Erin Jackson takes 500m gold

Erin Jackson completed a remarkable journey to become a Winter Olympic speed skating champion by winning 500m gold in Beijing — having nearly missed out on going to China altogether. The American, who was once an inline skater and competed at Pyeongchang 2018 having only raced in speed skating for the first time four months before the Games, set the fastest time after Japan's Miho Takagi led for most of the event.

Ad/> The 29-year-old may owe experienced US team-mate Brittany Bowe a favour after pulling off the win. Jackson slipped during Olympic trials and was likely to miss out on qualifying, but Bowe — who had already secured her place in Beijing, albeit in a different distance — offered up her place instead, knowing that Jackson had dominated the World Cup circuit.

/> Beijing 2022'She strikes gold' — USA's Jackson celebrates stunning speed skating triumph23 MINUTES AGO It paid off, with Jackson winning gold — and Bowe was eventually picked to compete in the 500m, where she placed 16th. /> The benchmark pace was set when the fourth pair took to the ice, with Takagi clocking 37.12.

With seven pairs to go, Takagi was still leading — but there were some big hitters still to come. European champion Femke Kok was the first of them, but she failed to trouble the top three, crossing the line and shaking her head with disappointment.