Records were broken and history was made at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
On Feb. 13, Erin Jackson became the first Black woman to win a medal for speedskating—taking home Olympic gold. The 29-year-old Ocala, Fla. athlete's win in the women's 500-meter race, with a time of 37.04 seconds, also marked the first individual speedskating medal for the United States since 2010 and the first time a Team USA female athlete has won that event since 1994.
"I just hope it sparks something," Jackson told NBC's Today show, "like maybe a young Black girl saw my race or something and she's like, "Oh, well, maybe I should try this." I think that would be amazing. Even if it's just one person, getting someone else out there to skate with me."
And Team USA can also be especially proud of Jessie Diggins. On Feb. 8, the 30-year-old skier won the bronze medal in the women's individual cross-country skiing final, marking the first time a U.S. athlete has won a medal in the Olympic event.
Check out all of the athletes who made history at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics:
The Team USA athlete became the most decorated Black athlete in Winter Olympics history—with five total—and the most decorated woman Olympic bobsledder of all time when she won the bronze medal in the two-woman bobsleigh. Pictured: Elana with her silver medal from the women's monobob final.
The athlete is the first Black woman to win a medal for speedskating—and she took home the gold! Her win also marked the first individual speedskating medal for the United States since 2010.
With her bronze medal in the women's individual cross-country skiing final, the athlete became the first American to win an Olympic medal in the event.
The American-born skier made history when she won a gold medal win for China in the first Winter Olympic women's freestyle big air competition.
With their gold medal in mixed team snowboard cross, at ages 36 and 40, respectively, they are the oldest medalists in Olympic snowboarding history.
The U.S. athlete secured the gold medal in the women's snowboard halfpipe with her first run. The 21-year-old is the first woman to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in that competition.
She made history by winning New Zealand's first-ever gold medal at a Winter Olympic Games with women's slopestyle title victory.
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