Erin Jackson grabs first speed skating World Cup win in 20 months

Erin Jackson returned to the site of her Olympic triumph, and to the top of a World Cup podium for the first time since March 2022.

Jackson won the 500m on Friday at the Beijing National Speed Skating Oval, where in February 2022 she became the first Black woman to win a Winter Olympic gold medal in an individual event.

Jackson clocked 37.91 seconds to prevail by one hundredth over Kimi Goetz on Friday. The Americans also went one-two in the World Cup opener in Japan last week, with Goetz getting that win.

World champion Femke Kok of the Netherlands was out with a fever, according to the International Skating Union.

Last season, Jackson's best individual World Cup finish was third as she dealt with three herniated discs in her lower back, according to U.S. Speedskating.

The 31-year-old kept busy in the offseason, filming the reality TV show "Special Forces" in New Zealand in the summer and winning inline skating gold at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, days before the World Cup season began.

The speed skating World Cup continues Saturday and streams live all season on Peacock.