Erin Jackson, who in 2022 became the first Black American woman to win an Olympic speed skating medal and the first Black woman to win an individual Winter Olympic gold, will take the ice for the second time in Milan Sunday, Feb. 15 — this time in pursuit of a second-straight 500m crown.

The event is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. E.T.

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A former inline skater, Jackson made her first Olympic appearance at the 2018 Games, just four months after she made the official switch to speed skating. Since then, she has set seven national records (including two in the 500m), earned 31 World Cup medals (16 gold), claimed seven national titles, and skated to Olympic gold.

In the ensuing four years, the 33 year old has remained atop the global 500m ranks despite battling a series of health issues, securing back-to-back World Cup titles in the distance during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons and gold medals at the 2024 and 2025 Four Continents Championships. 

Jackson struggled on the World Cup this season, due in part to those health issues. At the third stop on the tour, she suffered a hamstring injury, forcing her to scratch her two races. She skated cautiously through the rest of the season, preserving her health for the Olympic stage. Still, she ended the season as the world No. 3 in the distance, thanks to the three medals (2 silver, 1 bronze) she earned in her four races before the injury.

She began her tenure in Milan on a high note, skating to 6th in the 1000m — a distance she added to her program in the leadup to the 2026 Games. Six days earlier, was also named as one of the United States' flagbearers for the Opening Ceremony. 

Jackson is one of two Americans competing in the event. The other is Olympic rookie Sarah Warren.

But as they often do in speed skating, the Dutch may stand in Jackson's way.

The Netherlands traveled to Milan with a roster armed with nearly-unbeatable sprinters on both the men's and women's side, but one stands out among them: Femke Kok.

Kok, 25, has not lost a 500m race in two years. The three-time reigning world champion opened this season with a world record in the distance, shaving 0.27 seconds off the previous mark, which had previously remained untouched since 2013. She then took 1000m silver in her first race in Milan.

Jackson and Kok will go head-to-head in the final pair of the day.

Then there's Jutta Leerdam, who flew to an Olympic record en route to gold in the 1000m and collected three silver medals in the 500m on the World Cup this year. Making her Olympic debut, Anna Boersma rounds out the robust Dutch 500m contingent. She finished the 2025-26 season as the world No. 16 in the event.

Historically, the Netherlands has dominated the speed skating world. With just one gold in seven medal events to far this season, the Dutch will certainly enter the event with chips on their shoulders.

Jackson may also find trouble in Poland's Kaja Ziomek-Nogal and Japan's Yukino Yoshida, who each earned multiple World Cup podium finishes in the 500m this season.

Before Jackson and Kok square off, eight trios will take the ice in the men's team pursuit quarterfinals.

The four fastest teams advance to the semifinals. The teams with the 5th and 6th fastest times advance to the C Final, and the 2 remaining teams advance to the D Final.

The United States is the clear gold medal favorite in the event. The trio of Casey Dawson, Emery Leham, and Ethan Cepuran have completely rewritten the team pursuit playbook over the last five seasons, skating to three world records, five-straight World Cup season titles, Olympic bronze (2022) and world championship gold (2025). They enter the Olympics riding a six-race-long undefeated run on the international stage.

The Netherlands ended the season with two bronze medals in the event, finishing as the world No. 2 behind the Americans.