BOCA RATON, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2026) — Florida Atlantic University has another Olympian heading back to the sport’s biggest stage.

Brittany Bowe, a Florida Atlantic alumna from the class of 2010 and a Florida Atlantic Alumni Hall of Famer, has qualified for the 2026 Winter Olympics. FAU congratulated Bowe in a social media post, noting this will be her fourth Olympic appearance.

Bowe’s qualification comes out of the U.S. Olympic speed skating trials, where she finished second in the 1,000 meters on Saturday. The trials were held in Milwaukee, and the race was tight at the top.

Erin Jackson won the 1,000 meters in 1:14.63, pulling away late and earning the automatic Olympic spot that comes with the title. Bowe was right behind her, just 0.39 seconds back. Mia Manganello finished third, nearly two seconds behind Jackson.

Jackson entered the trials already holding an Olympic berth in the 500 meters. After winning the 1,000, she added another event to her ticket — and she did it while dealing with a hamstring issue that, days earlier, left her unsure she’d even be able to race the distance. After the win, Jackson said it felt like a relief and that she didn’t feel anything in her hamstring during the race.

Bowe’s path to Milano Cortina wasn’t immediately stamped when she crossed the line in second. But U.S. Speed Skating quickly announced she is going to the Olympics, too.

The U.S. has two quota spots in the women’s 1,000 meters. The process gets complicated because Team USA can only send a total of six women speed skaters to the Olympics, and some skaters arrive at trials with spots effectively already secured based on World Cup performances. In this case, both Jackson and Manganello were described as pre-qualified through World Cup results, and the governing body wanted to be sure it had enough available places before awarding the second 1,000-meter spot.

Jackson’s win helped clarify the math. Because she was already guaranteed one of the six women’s slots, the team didn’t have to use an additional place to send someone it hadn’t planned to.

Before the announcement was made public, Bowe was already speaking like someone who expected to be on the plane. “In my mind, I’ll be going to the Olympics,” she said.

Now it’s official. Bowe will be making her fourth Olympic appearance, while Jackson will be headed to her third.

Both are expected to be in the mix across multiple distances. Jackson’s signature event is the 500 meters, where she is the reigning Olympic champion. Bowe’s current World Cup form also stacks up well: she is ranked third in the World Cup standings in the 1,000 meters and fifth in the 1,500 meters, heading into the Olympic year.

For FAU, it’s another high-profile athletic headline tied back to Boca Raton and the university’s alumni network. And for Bowe, it’s another lap in a career that has stretched across four Olympic cycles — still fast, still relevant, and now headed for Milano Cortina.

Source: USA TODAY; FAU Facebook post