36 • February 17, 2022 - February 23, 2022
THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
Sports Erin Jackson becomes the first Black woman to win Olympic speed skating gold By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor
Jackson became only the second Black skater to medal at an Olympics in speedskating, joining Shani It may seem paradoxical that Davis, who won gold in the men’s a Black woman born and raised 1000-meters in both the 2006 and in Ocala, Florida, where the av2010 Olympics. Leading up to Sunerage temperature in February day’s milestone, Jackson also had is 73 degrees, would become the distinction of being the first a cold weather, winter sport Black woman to win a World Cup champion. But that is exactly race when she clocked the fastest AM NEWS 01024last Nowhat Erin Jackson has achieved. time in the 500-meters AM NE 01/06/22 On Sunday at the Beijing vember in Poland. 01/06/ 0 7 74470 22784 Winter Olympics, the 29-yearShe surpassed that with her vicold who graduated with honors tory in China on the sport’s bigfrom the University of Florida’s gest stage. “I cried immediately,” Materials Science & Engineershe said to reporters following the ing program, became the first conclusion of the competition. “It Black woman to win an Olymwas just a big release of emotion. pic medal in speed skating A lot of shock, a lot of relief and a AM NEWS 01034 when she captured gold in the lot of happiness. I haven’t fullyAM proNE 01/13/22 500-meters. cessed everything it 01/13/ 0 7 quite yet, but 74470 22784 Jackson broke a nearly 20just feels amazing.” year gold medal drought by An elite in-line skater, Jackson United States women in speedwas a gold medalist in the disciskating events. Prior to Jackson’s pline—more commonly known as victory, Bonnie Blair was the rollerblading—in the 500-meters last American to stand atop a at 2008-’09 Junior World Champipodium, also earning first place Erin Jackson of the United States hoists an American flag after winning the AM onships. She continued to ascend 01044 goldNEWS medal in the NE in the 500-meters in 1994. Jackand was named the FemaleAM Athspeedskating women's 500-meter race at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022, in 01/20/22 01/20/ 0 7 Roller Sports son’s time of 37.04 was 0.08 seclete of the Year for in Beijing (AP Photo/Sue O) 74470 22784 onds better than Miho Takagi of 2012 and 2013 by the United States Japan, who took silver, and 0.17 seconds ary. Coming in third, she initially failed to offered her spot in the 500-meters to Jack- Olympic Committee. ahead of bronze medalist Angelina Goliko- make the team despite being ranked No. 1 son in an act of compassion. Jackson transitioned to the ice in earva of the Russian Olympic Committee. in the world in the 500-meters. “I messed “She has earned the right to compete in nest less than six months before the 2018 Jackson’s historic moment was poten- up. It’s definitely on me,” she said to the her marquee event at the Olympics,” said winter Olympics held in Pyeongchang, tially undermined by her fall to the ice USA Network after the mishap. But team- Bowe from Beijing, “and it was an honor to South Korea, qualified for the U.S. team AM NEWS 01054 during the U.S. Olympic qualifying trials mate Brittany Bowe, who had qualified in give her that spot for the opportunity to race in the 500-meters, and finished 24th AM NE in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in early Janu- 500-, 1000- and 1500-meters, subsequently for gold for Team USA.” among 31 speedskaters. 01/27/22 0
Figure Skating in Harlem receives prestigious IOC honor As the Olympic Winter Games got underway in Beijing, Figure Skating in Harlem (FSH) received some incredible news. FSH, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, was recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as a gender equality advocate and honored as the winner for the Americas of the Women and Sports Award. IOC president Thomas Bach said the IOC’s mission includes advancing gender equality on and off the fields of play. “We are thrilled,” said FSH founder and CEO Sharon Cohen. “Certainly, we’re humbled and honored to receive this recognition on the global stage. It’s a nod to the inspiration of our girls, our team and the work that we’ve been doing for a quarter of a century now to be on the forefront of inclusion and gender equality. “We are about something larger than skating; it’s really about devel-
(Photo courtesy of FSH)
By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews
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Two Figure Skating in Harlem synchro teams recently won bronze 02/10/22 medals at a competition in Lake Placid
oping young female leaders of color,” she added. Cohen hopes that seeing the girls of FSH skate may inspire girls and boys of color to take up the sport and pursue it as far as their talents and passions take them. “Certainly, we hope it will inspire lots of participation so that among them a student can rise to the elite ranks,” said Cohen. “You have to see it to be it. We all
want to see more representation in the sport. It begins by creating more access.” After having its last two annual galas virtually, FSH is returning to in-person this spring for its silver anniversary benefit gala, “Celebrating 25 Years ExcelAMofNEWS lence and Sisterhood,” to be held April 02/17/22 25 at Gotham Hall. It is expected that newly crowned Olympic gold medalist Nathan Chen will be in attendance.
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The honorees include legendary singersongwriter Valerie Simpson. Before that, FSH will have its annual ice show at Riverbank, and there will be an audience (must be fully01064 vaccinated) AM NE on March 19 and 20. It’s called “City of 02/03/ 0 7 74470 22784 Dreams, A Skating Love Letter to New York City.” “Omicron was challenging, but we pushed through it,” said Cohen. “Our girls just competed in Lake Placid and got two bronze medals for two different teams (FSH has several Harlem Ice syn01074 chronized skating teams). They had a AM NE wonderful time. They got Lake 0 7 a tour of 02/10/ Placid 74470 (site of22784 the 1980 Winter Olympics), went snowshoeing and skated at the [speed skating] oval. It was an amazing weekend.”
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