Ocala speed skating star Erin Jackson has been selected as a flag bearer for Team USA at the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, just four years after her teammate and fellow Ocalan held the same honor.
The announcement was made earlier this week in anticipation of Friday’s opening ceremony. Jackson, the defending Olympic champion in the women’s 500-meter speed skating race, was chosen by a vote of her fellow Team USA athletes. She will lead the American delegation alongside bobsledder and U.S. Army Sergeant Frank Del Duca.
“The moment when I found out I was actually at practice with my team, it was really cool. So, our coach kind of sat us down on the edge of the ice and announced it to the team. And it was just a really cool moment,” said Jackson during a press conference this week.
The decorated athlete said that although she knew she was on the shortlist of people who may be selected, she was unaware of her chances because the others were all “legends” who are “worthy” of carrying the flag.
“It was definitely a big surprise,” said Jackson, whose selection creates a historic back-to-back honor for Ocala. Her close friend, teammate, and fellow Ocala native Brittany Bowe served as a flag bearer during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
“It’s a really big honor and I’m super grateful, especially being chosen by my teammates,” Jackson said at a press conference Tuesday. She noted the special significance of sitting beside Bowe when the news was announced. “Having Brittany right next to me because she was the flag bearer for the last Olympics was really special”.
Both Jackson and Bowe enter the 2026 Olympic Games carrying significant momentum from the U.S. Olympic Trials held in Milwaukee in January.
Jackson secured her spot on her third Olympic team with a dominant performance, including a victory in the 1000-meter race where she edged out Bowe by just 0.39 seconds. She will look to defend her gold medal in the 500-meter and contend for the podium in the 1000-meter.
Bowe, aiming for her fourth and last Olympics at age 37, also shined at the trials. In addition to her second-place finish in the 1000-meter, she claimed victory in the 1500-meter event, cementing her status as a team leader and medal contender once again.
“I’ve been so blessed to be able to do this for four quads now, 16 years of my life,” Bowe said following the trials.
The Opening Ceremony for the 2026 Winter Olympics will air live on Friday, Feb. 6., beginning at 2 p.m. on NBC. Jackson and Del Duca will lead the procession of American athletes into the stadium in Milan, Italy, which is hosting the games.
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