U.S. speedskater Erin Jackson wins women's 500m gold

American speedskater Erin Jackson made history Sunday as the first Black woman to win a speedskating medal at the Winter Olympics.

The big picture: Jackson's victory at the women's 500 meters race resulted in the U.S.' first individual medal in women's speedskating since 2002. Jackson came in at 37.04 seconds, beating the 37.12-second time of Japan’s Miho Takagi. Angelina Golikova of the Russian Olympic Committee took the bronze.

Background: The 29-year-old Jackson became the first Black woman to represent the United States in speedskating at the 2018 Games. The world No. 1 nearly missed the 2022 Games after she slipped during trials, but teammate Brittany Bowe gave up her own spot to ensure Jackson could go.