Erin Jackson claimed her first win on the World Cup podium since March 2022, by winning the top spot in the 500m at the Beijing National Speed Skating Oval. This victory marked a historic moment for Jackson, who became the first Black woman to win a Winter Olympic gold medal in an individual event in February 2022. She clocked 37.91 seconds to secure victory, edging out Kimi Goetz by just one hundredth of a second.

The absence of world champion Femke Kok from the Netherlands due to a fever paved the way for Jackson’s victory at the Beijing National Speed Skating Oval. Despite dealing with three herniated discs in her lower back last season, Jackson remained active during the offseason, participating in reality TV show “Special Forces” in New Zealand and winning inline skating gold at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, just days before the start of the World Cup season.

The speed skating World Cup will continue on Saturday and can be streamed live throughout the season on Peacock.