Fresh off her flag-bearing honor on Friday, Ocala’s Erin Jackson and her hometown teammate Brittany Bowe have officially stepped onto the world stage at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, with both athletes scheduled to hit the ice in different events this week.
Jackson, the defending Olympic champion, carried the U.S. flag during Friday’s Opening Ceremony at the San Siro Stadium, marking a historic back-to-back honor for the city of Ocala.
Jackson was chosen by a vote of her fellow Team USA athletes to lead the 232 Americans, which is the largest contingency from the United States in Winter Olympic history.
The record-breaking delegation includes 98 returning Olympians, surpassing the country’s previous high of 222 athletes.
For Jackson, sharing the moment with teammate and fellow Ocala native Brittany Bowe was particularly meaningful. Bowe held the same flag-bearing honor during the 2022 Beijing Games…