Ocala's Erin Jackson has a bobblehead to go with her Olympic speed skating gold medal

Erin Jackson has a bobblehead celebrating her gold medal during the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Erin Jackson has a bobblehead celebrating her gold medal during the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
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University of Florida graduate and Ocala native Erin Jackson now has her own bobblehead.

The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled the first bobbleheads of 2022 U.S. Olympians Elana Meyers Taylor, Kallie Humphries, Jason Brown and Jackson on Friday to coincide with the anniversary of the Closing Ceremonies of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, which took place a year ago this week, as well as Black History Month.

Jackson became the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal since bobsledder Vonetta Flowers in 1992, and the first Black American woman to earn a medal in speed skating, when she won the 500-meter speed skating event in Beijing on Feb. 13, 2022.

Meyers Taylor, who is from Douglasville, Georgia, became the most decorated Black athlete in Winter Olympics history, adding to her bronze medal in the 2010 Olympics, and silver medals at the 2014 and 2018 Olympics. Last year, she won a silver medal in the inaugural monobob event and a bronze medal in the two-woman event with Sylvia Hoffman. With five medals, Meyers Taylor surpassed speed skater Shani Davis for the most medals by a Black athlete in Winter Olympics history.

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Gold medal race:Speedskater Erin Jackson becomes first Black woman to win gold medal in individual event at Winter Games

Humphries, who resides in San Diego, California, won a gold medal in her debut with Team USA in the inaugural monobob event. Her total time of 4:19.27 was the largest margin of victory in all bobsled disciplines in 42 years.

Brown, who is from Highland Park, Illinois, had a personal-best showing (sixth place) at the 2022 Winter Olympics. As a 19-year-old in 2014 in Sochi, Brown was part of the bronze-winning U.S. group in the team competition becoming one of the youngest male figure skating Olympic medalists.

Jackson, 30, who graduated with honors from Florida in the materials science and engineering program, started competing in roller derby and inline skating before transitioning to the ice in 2016.

Erin Jackson competes during the 500M Women #1 U.S. Long Track Speedskating championships Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023, at Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee.

Mjs 01052022 Skate05 Ec026133
Erin Jackson competes during the 500M Women #1 U.S. Long Track Speedskating championships Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023, at Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee. Mjs 01052022 Skate05 Ec026133

Each bobblehead is individually numbered to 2,022 and they are only available through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store. The bobbleheads, which are expected to ship in May, are $30 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order.

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Speed skater Erin Jackson, fellow Winter Olympians get bobbleheads