Erin Jackson took up rollerblades to master the art of skating before she stepped foot on the ice. And that little trick did turn out significantly well for Jackson. Dominating the ice, the 33-year-old soon became one of the iconic speed skaters of America. Back in 2022, the US speed skater made history by becoming the only woman of color to win an individual gold at the Winter Olympics. And now, as Jackson made yet another history by being selected as the US flagbearer in Milano Cortina, Essentially Sports caught up with her to get some of her valuable takes on the game. 

In an exclusive interview with Shreya Verma, a representative of EssentiallySports, the veteran Olympian was asked to reflect on the ongoing controversy about the ice. 

“No, I think we were really fortunate over with the long track side because we are the only people using our ice sheet. I think the issue, like I never skated on the other venues, so I don’t know personally, but from what I was hearing, the issue was that the figure skaters and the short track speed skaters were sharing the same ice sheet,” said Jackson. 

Well, the ice at Milano Cortina has been pretty much at the center of controversy. A significant number of the short track skaters have allegedly called the ice ‘soft and unpredictable.’ One of the significant incidents of the ice-fiasco coming to the forefront involved the Canadian world champion, Steven Dubois. Following his shocking crash, Dubois termed the ice as ‘really bad.’ 

However, Jackson begged to differ from the ongoing narrative. Delving deep into the matter, the US star tried pointing out the root cause. She said that sharing the same ice sheet meant two separate ice conditions. This also compelled the ice makers to go back and forth, ultimately hindering the quality of the ice. 

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Jackson further extended her heartiest wishes to the athletes who have faltered on the ice. She stated how it is a monumental pressure on the mind when the race does not go as per the plans. Sympathizing for the skaters, the 33-year-old also admitted that initially, Team USA, too, did not have the best of ice to practice on. 

Speaking with EssentiallySports’ Shreya Verma, Jackson said, “Our first few days when we arrived in Milan, the ice wasn’t perfect then.

But as we moved through the practice days, it kept getting better and better. And by the time we got to the race days, the ice was really, really great.”

Unfortunately, hoping to repeat her antics as the defending speed skating gold medalist, Jackson failed to make the podium this time. Competing in the women’s 500m category, the US flag bearer ended 5th. Thankfully, despite having her dreams shattered, a comeback might not be distant as in a separate interview with Olympics.com, Jackson laid it out her secret of performing well when the chips are down.

Defending champion Erin Jackson embraces pressure despite missing Olympic podium

After she bagged the gold medal in the 2022 Beijing Olympics, she was shouldering a lot of expectations this year. Now, while many find it overwhelming, Jackson has had a different approach towards the same. Before stepping into the Olympic stage this year, she reflected on how she dealt with pressure.

She said to Olympics.com, “I’m coming in as the defending champion and with that comes a ton of pressure. But I really like the pressure because I’m typically a really laid back and relaxed competitor, so the pressure helps me push to that next level and find that fire. I feel like it just like makes me push harder.” 

The Olympic gold medalist further added, “I’m just a naturally very calm person and sometimes you need a little bit more oomph when you’re out there on the start line. So hearing the crowd, knowing that there’s a lot on the line, I think that really helps me.”

Now, although the 33-year-old American failed to bag a podium spot this year, she represented her nation on the international stage with pride and joy. Reflecting on the same, she recently admitted how “special” the experience was. Jackson could feel the crowd’s excitement and support while she was leading the national team. She also felt valued and respected by the other athletes, which indeed made the whole experience even more special for her.