Where is Brittany Bowe from?

Brittany Bowe was born and raised in Ocala, Florida.

How old is Brittany Bowe in 2026?

Bowe currently is 37 years old. She will turn 38 on Feb. 24, 2026, two days after the Closing Ceremony at the 2026 Olympics. 

When did Brittany Bowe start speed skating?

Inspired by the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, Bowe began speed skating later that year.

Did Brittany Bowe compete in inline skating before switching to ice?

Bowe originally competed in inline skating, beginning at age 8.

How many Olympics has Brittany Bowe competed in?

Bowe has competed in three Olympic Games: the 2014 Sochi Olympics, the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics and most recently, the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

How many Olympic medals has Brittany Bowe won?

Bowe has two bronze Olympic medals: one from the 2018 Games (women’s team pursuit) and one from the 2022 Games (women’s 1000m).

What distances does Brittany Bowe race in?

Though she specializes in the individual distances (500m, 1000m, 1500m), Bowe also has competed in the 300m, the 5000m relay, the team pursuit and various sprint events across different competitions.

What is Brittany Bowe’s career timeline in speed skating?

A multi-sport athlete, Bowe originally competed in basketball, soccer, and inline skating. However, after watching fellow inline skaters Chad Hedrick and Heather Richardson prepare for the speed skating competition at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, Bowe decided to pivot from the road to the ice, moving to the national team’s home base of Salt Lake City, Utah, to pursue the sport full time.

Just two years later, during the 2012-13 campaign, Bowe raced her way to her first World Cup podiums, securing second place overall in the 1000m competition. From there, her accolades exploded: World Cup medals, world championship podiums, national records, world records, Olympic medals and more. After over a decade in the sport, Bowe has solidified her legacy as one of the United States’ strongest woman speed skaters.

How did Brittany Bowe perform at Sochi 2014, PyeongChang 2018, and Beijing 2022?

Bowe made her Olympic debut in 2014 at the Sochi Olympics. There, she placed sixth in the women’s team pursuit, eighth in the 1000m, 13th in the 2x500m, and 14th in the 1500m.

In her second Olympic appearance, the then-29-year-old earned her first Olympic medal: a bronze in the team pursuit. She also competed in two other distances, just missing the podium in the 1000m (4th) and 1500m (fifth).

Bowe added to her medal tally in Beijing, collecting another bronze in the 1000m. She went on to place 10th in the 1500m and 16th in the 500m.

How many world championship titles does Brittany Bowe have?

Bowe is a six-time speed skating world champion, with three titles in the 1000m, two in sprints and one in the 1500m.

What World Cup records and victories has Brittany Bowe achieved?

Over the course of her speed skating career, Bowe has made the podium 88 times at World Cup events, including 33 first-place finishes. 

Her four world records all were set at World Cup events, making them World Cup records as well. 

What makes Brittany Bowe one of the top U.S. speed skaters in history?

Though Bowe only has collected two speed skating medals on the Olympic stage — tied for sixth all time for U.S. women behind Bonnie Blair (6), Dianne Holum (4), Chris Witty (3), Sheila Young (3) and Leah Poulos-Mueller (3) — her dominant performances in other international competitions have carved her spot among the United States’ most elite speed skaters.

In her 15 years in the sport so far, Bowe has collected 88 World Cup medals, set 11 national marks (four of which still stand today), broken four world records and made three Olympic appearances. With 17, Bowe has more world championship prizes than any of the women ranked above her in the Olympic medal count.

How does Brittany Bowe compare to Erin Jackson and other American speed skating stars?

With 17 world championship medals, 20 national titles, and 88 World Cup podium finishes collected over 15 years, Bowe is the most prolific active speed skater in the United States.

However, in just four seasons on the professional level, Jordan Stolz has made a serious run for that title. On the World Cup circuit, Stolz has raced his way to almost half of Bowe’s number of podiums (43) and nine world championship prizes. He also has set 11 national records (the same number as Bowe) and two world records, collecting 13 national titles along the way.

Erin Jackson, who won gold for the United States in the women’s 500m in Beijing, has earned 28 World Cup podium finishes and five national titles over the course of her career.

Will Brittany Bowe compete at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics?

Though the official U.S. speed skating team will not be announced until January, Bowe is expected to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Could Brittany Bowe win another Olympic medal in 2026?

Should she make the Olympic roster, Bowe likely is still a serious medal contender for the United States. She finished the 2024-25 World Cup circuit as the highest-ranked U.S. skater in the women’s 1000m (2nd) and 1500m (6th).

Who is Brittany Bowe's coach?

Bowe works primarily with Ryan Shimabukuro, the national program's head coach.

How is Brittany Bowe performing in the 2025–26 World Cup season?

The 2025-26 Speed Skating World Cup season begins in mid-November 2025. The first competition will be held at the Olympic Oval in Salt Lake City, Utah, Nov. 14-16.

What challenges could Brittany Bowe face at the Milan Cortina Olympics?

A seasoned veteran potentially entering her fourth Olympic competition, Bowe likely won’t be feeling the same pressure an Olympic rookie might. However, at 37 years old, Bowe may be one of Team USA’s oldest members. With younger stars like Japan’s Miho Takagi and the Netherlands’ Jutta Leerdam still in the picture, Bowe likely will face some stiff competition in her quest for another Olympic medal.

How important would another Olympic medal be for Brittany Bowe’s legacy?

Though she stands as one of the most decorated U.S. women speed skaters, her Olympic medal tally doesn’t quite reflect her prowess. A third Olympic medal — especially her first silver or gold — further would cement her status as an American speed skating icon.

What are Brittany Bowe’s biggest career highlights in speed skating?

Bowe has hit many significant career milestones, but her first came during her very first World Cup season. That year, 2012-13, she finished the campaign ranked second in the overall 1000m competition.

Just a few months later, at the second World Cup event of the 2013-14 season, Bowe set her first of three world records in the 1000m. She hit all three marks on her home ice in Salt Lake City.

After two Olympic appearances without an individual medal, Bowe hoped the Beijing Games would be the charm — and they were. Bowe took home bronze in her specialty race, the 1000m.

How many medals has Brittany Bowe won at the world championships?

Bowe is a 13-time medalist at the World Single Distances Championships (four gold, four silver, and five bronze) and a four-time medalist at the World Sprint Championships (two gold, one silver, one bronze).

Here is a breakdown of Bowe’s podium finishes:

Bowe also is a four-time world champion in both road and track inline skating.

What World Cup titles has Brittany Bowe earned?

Bowe has won two overall World Cup titles, both in the women’s 1000m: one during the 2019-20 season and one during the 2021-22 campaign.

Has Brittany Bowe set any world records in speed skating?

Bowe has broken the world record in the women’s 1000m three times on her home oval in Salt Lake City, Utah: once in 2014 ahead of the Sochi Games (1:12.58 minutes), and twice in 2019 (1:12.18 and 1:11.61). Her latest mark still stands today.

She also once held the record in the 1500m, set in Calgary, Canada in 2015 (1:51.59).

How does Brittany Bowe rank in ISU World Cup standings?

Bowe closed out the 2024-25 World Cup circuit ranked second in the women’s 1000m, sixth in the 1500m and 25th in the 500m. 

What skate brand and gear does Brittany Bowe use?

Team USA’s speed skaters wear suits designed by Under Armour. Bowe, like many other U.S. skaters, use custom skates made by the brand Bont.

How many followers does Brittany Bowe have on Instagram?

As of September 2025, Bowe has nearly 44,000 followers on Instagram.

What are Brittany Bowe’s hobbies outside of skating?

In her free time, Bowe likes to do yoga, cook and bake.

Where did Brittany Bowe go to college?

Bowe attended Florida Atlantic University, where she played point guard for their women's basketball team and earned a degree in sociology and social science. She was inducted into the school's hall of fame in 2019.

What are some fun facts about Brittany Bowe’s journey from inline skating to Olympic champion?

• Bowe served as a flag bearer for the United States at the 2022 Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony
• Bowe has been dating hockey icon Hilary Knight since 2022
• After winning the 500m at the 2021 Olympic Trials, Bowe gave up her spot to teammate and longtime friend Erin Jackson, who had slipped during the race and finished third, because she believed Jackson had a better shot at gold. Later in Beijing, Jackson won the Olympic competition.