1
GOLD
0
SILVER
0
BRONZE
5'5"
32
Ocala, FL
University of Florida
Daughter of Rita and Tracy Jackson
One brother, Corey Farmer
First Black woman to win gold in an individual event at the Winter Olympics
Works with Edge Outdoors, an organization that helps women of color get into sports like skiing and snowboarding
Hobbies: Pickleball and kickball with friends
When she is not skating, Jackson is working on multiple associate degrees from Salt Lake City Community, in Kinesiology and Business, respectively after previously completing one in Computer Science
Erin Jackson grew up in Ocala, Florida, where she began inline skating after her mom, Rita, had a chance encounter with famed inline skating coach Renee Hildebrand. Jackson would join Hildebrand's team, including future Team USA teammates Brittany Bowe and Joey Mantia. At 17, Jackson would be a junior inline champion in the 500-meter track event and competed in inline speedskating world championships and roller derby for Team USA ahead of the 2018 world cup before taking up long track speedskating.
Just months after transitioning to the ice full-time, Erin Jackson made her Olympic debut at the Olympic Winter Games Pyeongchang 2018 in the 500m, finishing 24th. Less than four years later, Jackson was the top-ranked skater in the 500m discipline heading the U.S. Olympic Speedskating Trials. She finished third in the 500m at the 2022 U.S. Olympic Trials - Speedskating in Milwaukee after slipping during the race, so she missed out on the two available qualification berths. However, her teammate and long-time friend, Brittany Bowe, who won the event at the U.S. Trials, ceded her place to Jackson, claiming she had a greater chance of winning gold in the event at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.
At the Beijing Games, Jackson made history as the first Black woman to win gold in an individual event at the Winter Olympics. Later that year, she returned to inline skating and became world champion for the first time ever at the 2022 ISU World Championships in the one lap sprint event. Jackson would also win gold the following year at the PanAm Games in the 500m, her signature event.
As the excitement of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games winds down, it’s time for Team USA’s winter sports athletes to begin their trek towards qualifying for the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.Although winter athletes typically spen...
Since Jackson last raced at the Pan Am Games in 2015, she’s taken up ice speedskating and won an Olympic gold medal.
Tune in to NBCSports.com and NBCSN for more action from Olympic Trials.
Brittany Bowe and Erin Jackson are interviewed after Bowe gave her spot on the 500 meter team to Jackson during the U.S. Long Track Speedskating Olympic Trials 2022 on Jan. 9, 2022. Jackson is the top ranked women's 500 meter skater internationally.
Erin Jackson competes in the women's speedskating 500-meter final at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. Video sup...
