Erin, the gold of friendship: in the race thanks to the place left her by teammate Bowe

From our correspondent Paolo Marabini

February 14
– Beijing

Erin’s gold. Long rink, 500 meters. Erin Jackson beats Japanese Miho Tagachi by 8 cents and brings the United States back to the throne of the shortest distance of the Olympic program, 28 years after the third triumph of the legendary Bonnie Blair. The news isn’t so much that Erin is the first African American to win Olympic gold in long track skating. After all, it is not the color of the skin that restrains or pushes a dream. Nor should it be that we are still here to dwell on the pigmentations of a person, even of an athlete who has chosen one sport over another. Erin could also have chosen the 100 meters of athletics and no one would have emphasized her victory in the Olympic final with greater tones than her.

Long live the friendship

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No, the real reason why Erin is getting more talked about than the usual space reserved for an Olympic champion lies in the story of friendship that led her to Beijing’s gold on the ice of the National Speed ​​Skating Oval. A story that has another name and surname in the cast of this beautiful film: companion Brittany Bowe.

From inline to ice

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But let’s rewind the tape and start from afar. Erin was born on September 19, 1992 in Ocala, the capital of Marion County, in the north-central area of ​​Florida. She successfully practices athletics at school and at the age of 8 she also approaches skating, to emulate her brother Corey. But her first tools, as for many, are roller skates. After all, in Florida, the basic element is certainly not ice … The girl knows how to do it, she slowly imposes herself among her peers. She also goes on to win seven world medals, 47 national titles, one silver at the Pan American Games. But the wheels, which are not part of the Olympic program, soon begin to limit her dreams. So, as she graduates with honors in Engineering and Materials Science, supported by dad Tracy and mom Rita, she takes the plunge, going from inline to ice. It is the month of September 2017 and, pushed by her coach René Hildebrand, she puts herself in the hands of the coach Ryan Shimabukuro, the guru of US skating. In a few months Erin – who in the meantime has moved to Utah, near Salt Lake City – takes off the ticket for the PyeongChang Games, where with little experience she has to settle for an anonymous 24th place, which goes unnoticed to most.

Thanks Brittany

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To most people, but not to “Speedy”, who at that moment already set the final half of his four-year period: the podium in Beijing. Easy to say, less to do. Competition is very high, there are few places available. He also goes through a serious injury, in which he risks losing sight in his left eye. Then fate puts a hand in it. At the US Trials, Erin falls and, in tears, she says goodbye to dreams of glory. At this point, however, the other leading actress of the Olympic film comes into play: Brittany Bowe. She also comes from Ocala, she is 33 years old, she was Erin’s inspiration and is her best friend. He has already played two Olympics, in PyeongChang he got the bronze around his neck in the relay, but he nearly reached the individual podium twice and, after the five world titles and a world record, he would really like to be able, finally, to take a his own Olympic medal. But in the face of her partner’s tears, she does not hesitate to step aside and give way to the strongest. Close to the Olympics, Brittany too will be able to remove the ticket for China, thanks to the reallocation of world shares. But in the meantime the gesture of altruism remains. And if Erin is the new Olympic champion today, a slice of that gold medal belongs to Brittany.