Erin Jackson is relishing the weight of expectation that comes with being an Olympic champion ahead of the Milano Cortina Games, nearly four years after making history as the first Black woman to win Winter Olympic gold in an individual sport.

The 33-year-old American has her sights set on defending her 500m speed skating title in Italy next year despite battling persistent injury issues that have required multiple surgeries since her Beijing triumph in 2022.

"I'm coming in as the reigning Olympic champion, and I feel like that brings a lot of pressure," Jackson told Reuters.

"But the pressure is what really drives me to kind of reach that next level. So I'm typically a very calm and relaxed person, but the pressure just helps me find that extra bit of energy. So I am really, really loo

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