When it comes to the Winter Olympic Games few athletes have made as much of an impact as Erin Jackson. Not only was she the first Black American woman to win a medal in speed skating, but Jackson is also one of the few people of color to hold the American flag during the Opening Ceremony. To discover what Jackson has to say about these events, keep scrolling.
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Erin Jackson discusses her Olympic journey
Jackson first competed in the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, but ended up coming in 24th place. Then, in 2022, she competed at the Winter Games in Beijing, China and won gold in the 500m speed skating race, making her the first Black woman to win that medal in an individual Winter Olympics event.
“Winning a gold medal was amazing. The culmination of all the hard work I put into it, all the ups and downs, and it was a big relief for it all to pay off,” the 33-year-old tells Woman’s World. “My medal currently is in a little pouch because I’m normally traveling with it to different appearances or events. So, it normally stays in a little pouch, in a backpack or one of my travel bags. It doesn’t have a special storage spot quite yet, because it’s still racking up the miles.”
Jackson also competed in the 2026 Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, and while she didn’t win, she did get to carry the American flag during the opening ceremony. Many people reported that she was the first Black woman to do this but when asked about that, Jackson said it couldn’t have been further from the truth.
Erin Jackson in 2022
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“Elana Meyers Taylor actually fits that title, because she was voted in as the flag bearer at the opening ceremonies in Beijing, but she couldn’t do it because she had COVID,” Jackson reveals. “For myself, though, it was an amazing moment, especially being selected by my peers on Team USA. It was a really big honor, and I spent the whole time just smiling.”
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“As for the Games themselves, they were awesome,” the athlete continued. “I think my favorite part was probably watching the Team USA events. It was fun for all of us to come together and watch the events there and the athletes could give us the ins and outs of their sport, filling us in on how the scoring works and stuff like that. It was really cool.”
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Erin Jackson reveals if she’ll go to the 2030 Games
The 2030 Winter Olympic Games will be held in the French Alps and, according to Jackson, she’s “hopefully going.”
“First I need to figure out some solutions for my three disc herniations in my lower back, but once I get those sorted out, I don’t see anything else holding me back,” she said. “I’m definitely looking forward to 2030.”
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Before the games, though, Jackson plans to train, continue her studies and eat lots of Hershey’s, a brand that she recently teamed up with for their “Happiness is the Real Gold” campaign.
Erin Jackson in 2026
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“It’s been an honor to partner with Hershey’s,” she said. “I think the campaign that they worked on was one that resonated with a lot of people. And I know a lot of my friends and family were really excited to watch it, because it just had an amazing message about happiness being the real gold. And I think it was amazing to kind of reiterate that message.”
To learn more about the Happiness is the Real Gold campaign, click here.
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