Jan 7 (Reuters) – American speed skater Brittany Bowe has one burning ambition left to achieve as she prepares for her final Games at Milano-Cortina – the elusive Olympic gold medal missing from her collection.
A six-times speed skating world champion — with three titles in the 1,000 metres, two in sprint and one in 1,500m — Bowe owns Olympic bronze medals from the team pursuit at PyeongChang 2018 and 1,000m at Beijing 2022.
The three-times Olympian also holds the world record in the women’s 1,000m.
“I am still on the pursuit of an Olympic gold medal,” Bowe told Reuters. “With that, just enjoying the journey after Beijing, I knew I had one more quad in me.
“To be able to finish my career in Milan with my family and friends and fans in the stands is just going to be a great way to end it.”
With the U.S. Olympic team trials having concluded on Monday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Bowe has qualified for the 1,000m, 1,500m and team pursuit in Milan — just ahead of her 38th birthday on February 24, two days after the closing ceremony.
ACT OF KINDNESS
Bowe’s most defining Olympic moment came not from her own racing, but from an extraordinary act of selflessness at the U.S. trials for Beijing.
Having qualified across three distances, she watched teammate and friend Erin Jackson slip during the 500m trial and lose her spot.
Bowe gave up her place so Jackson, four years her junior, could compete at Beijing. Jackson went on to make history, becoming the first Black woman to win Winter Olympic gold in an individual sport.
“The older I’ve gotten, and the further in my career I’ve gotten, I’ve realized that it’s so much bigger than just myself,” she said.
“As athletes, we are oftentimes measured solely on our performances, our results, our accolades. But I really believe what really matters is the impact that you have on other people.
“To be able to give Erin that opportunity to race for gold — and her having that monumental victory — just being a small piece of her puzzle is an example of me knowing that it’s so much bigger than just myself out there.”
HEALING PROCESS
Born in Ocala, Florida, Bowe grew up playing basketball and soccer before taking up inline skating at the age of eight.
Watching the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics sparked her transition to ice that same year, launching a journey that would see her become one of speed skating’s most accomplished athletes.
Life at the top, however, was not always smooth. A 2016 training collision left her battling panic, anxiety and vertigo attacks, transforming her into a mental health advocate who preaches vulnerability as strength.
“I tried to fight through this recovery process for a really long time on my own because, growing up as an athlete, you have to show mental toughness and mental strength,” she said.
“It wasn’t until I said that I wasn’t okay, and it wasn’t until I asked for help, that I started to heal. So it’s really, really important that everyone knows that it’s okay not to be okay.”
Bowe, who is openly gay and in a relationship with U.S. ice hockey captain Hilary Knight, has emerged as a prominent voice for inclusivity in sport.
“It’s been a fun journey, getting to know each other in Beijing and being able to share in one another’s journey. The ups, the downs, the good, the bad has been really special…,” Bowe said.
“Being able to take off my competitive hat. And just being able to be a fan and cheer on Hilary and the rest of the U.S. women’s hockey team. So it’s added a lot of joy into my life.”
(Reporting by Daniel Fastenberg in New York; Writing by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
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