Every Wednesday in February, JWS celebrates Black History Month by spotlighting a prominent Black figure in women's sports history.
More than 20 years ago, Team USA bobsledder Vonetta Flowers changed the Olympics forever, becoming the first Black athlete — in any sport, from any country — to win a Winter Games gold medal when her team topped the podium in Salt Lake City in at the 2002.
Originally a standout sprinter and long jumper at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Flowers turned her track and field dreams into bobsled success by transitioning to become a brakeman for the 2002 USA team, earning gold in the inaugural Olympic women's bobsled event alongside driver Jill Bakken.
After giving birth to twins, Flowers returned to the bobsled track to compete with driver Jean Racine-Prahm and the pair raced to bronze at the 2004 World Championships before finishing sixth at the 2006 Turin Olympics.
Retiring after the 2006 Games, Flowers blazed a trail for Black women in winter sports all the way to Team USA's 2026 flag bearer, Olympic champion speed skater Erin Jackson.
The 2022 US flag bearer, 41-year-old bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor — already the most decorated Black athlete in Winter Olympics history before competing in her fifth straight Games this month — counts Flowers as an inspiration.
"Vonetta Flowers is the reason I'm here," Meyers Taylor said after winning both silver and bronze in Beijing in 2022.
"It's just been such a long legacy of Black athletes at the Winter Olympics and hopefully it just continues."
Team USA is coming in hot, releasing their full 232-player 2026 Olympic roster as the largest US contingent in history gears up for February's Winter Games in Italy.
"Right and left, we have just so many people able to get on the podium at these Games," said speed skater Erin Jackson, as she gears up to defend her 500-meter gold medal in her third Olympic appearance. "I'm really excited."
Between the men's and women's events, 98 of the participating US athletes are returning Olympians, including 33 previous podium finishers — 18 of them gold medalists.
Even more, seven members of Team USA are entering their fifth Winter Games, including decorated alpine skier Lindsey Vonn, hockey captain Hilary Knight, snowboarder Faye Thelen, and bobsled teammates Kaillie Armbruster Humphries and Elana Meyers Taylor.
"I think my age is a big advantage actually," Vonn told reporters. "I have been in that start gate more than anyone else that's in the starting gate."
Meanwhile, the 134 fresh faces will look to have an immediate impact on the Olympic medal table for Team USA, including athletes like 20-year-old Stanford soccer defender and US cross-country skiier Sammy Smith and 15-year-old halfpipe freestyle skiier Abby Winterberger — the youngest member of the 2026 US roster.
How to watch Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics
The 2026 Winter Olympics officially kick off in Italy on February 6th, though a few events — including curling and women's hockey — will get underway on February 4th and 5th.
Full live coverage of the 2026 Olympic Games will air in the US across NBC platforms.