Salt Lake City resident Brrittany Bowe won her first individual Olympic medal on Thursday.
In her third Olympics, the 33-year-old won bronze in the women’s individual 1,000-meter speedskating race in Beijing, finishing with a time of 1:14.61.
“I was going for gold today, but if I take a step back and a deep breath for a moment, I’m honored and blessed to take home a medal,” Bowe said, per Team USA.
It is Bowe’s second-ever Olympic medal. She won the team pursuit bronze medal, along with Heather Bergsma, Mia Manganello and Carlijn Schoutens, at the 2018 Games.
Bowe was in the very last pair of the event and knew what time she had to get to medal.
Bowe finished third, behind gold-medal winner Miho Takagi of Japan (1:13.19), who set an Olympic record, and silver-medal winner Jutta Leerdam of the Netherlands (1:13.83).
“I got off to a great start, really strong and fast, but my lap speed just hasn’t been there,” Bowe said. “Miho Takagi is skating out of her mind, and I was gunning for that time, but it didn’t happen. I was going for gold, but I’ll probably take the bronze. I’m proud of the performance.”
It’s been a memorable Olympic experience for Bowe, who was a Team USA flagbearer in the opening ceremony.
After teammate Erin Jackson uncharacteristically slipped and failed to qualify for the Olympics in the 500-meter at the USA speedskating Olympic trials, Bowe — who finished first — gave up her spot to Jackson.
Jackson ended up winning that race in the Olympics, made possible by Bowe’s generosity.
“I’ve got a ton of emotions — honored, blessed, happy,” Bowe said. “Words can’t describe it. Thanks to the countless number of people encouraging me. It means so much. It’s been quite the journey.”
How other athletes with Utah ties did in Thursday’s medal events
Nordic combined — men’s team
USA — sixth place out of 10 teams.
Jasper Good — University of Utah (current student), trains in Park City.
Ben Loomis — Park City resident.
Jared Shumate — Park City resident, University of Utah (current student).
Taylor Fletcher — Park City resident Westminster College (former student).
Freestyle skiing — women’s halfpipe
Zoe Atkin (Great Britain) — Park City resident — ninth place out of 12 competitors.
Brita Sigourney — Park City resident, Westminster College (former student) — 10th place out of 12 competitors.
Carly Margulies — Salt Lake City resident, Westminster College (graduate) — 11th place out of 12 competitors.