Brittany BOWE

GIVING UP HER SPOT
At the 2022 US Olympic Trials, she gave up her qualifying spot in favour of World Cup leader Erin Jackson, who had a mishap during the race and only placed third. "It’s the right thing to do. There’s not a doubt in my mind that she wouldn’t do the same thing for me.” After re-allocation of unused quota spots, the United States received the right to enter a third skater, allowing to Bowe to enter as well. (nbcsports.com, 9 Jan 2022)

COVID-19
Made several TikTok videos with her mother and sister while in lockdown in her parent's home in Ocala, FL. Her sister Brooke, a dance teacher, scrolls through TikTok to find inspiration, leads a two to three-hour rehearsal and finds the perfect look by digging through her old dance costumes.

"We all love to have fun and have a good time and be goofy. It’s fun for my sister to teach us and just to laugh and smile in a time that is so horrible and so unfamiliar. We’re just trying to keep the positivity going within the walls of our house. It’s a good way to enjoy each other and have fun, and it’s nice to see people loving them and watching them and commenting that they look forward to them and how nice it is to laugh in this scary and sad time.” (teamusa.org, 16 Apr 2020)

AMBASSADOR
Ambassador for Right to Play, a charity that aims to use sport to educate and empower children in disadvantaged communities worldwide. (brittanybowe.com)

TATTOOS
Tattoo of a stairway to heaven along the right side of her body. Includes her grandmother’s rosary beads wrapped around Bowe’s hands. Second tattoo is an owl, the mascot of Florida Atlantic University, under her left arm. (outsports.com, 12 Feb 2018)

LGBTQ+
At the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, she was among the first openly gay athletes on the US team (along with Gus Kenworthy and Adam Rippon). Previously in a relationship with Manon Kamminga (NED), a fellow speed and inline skater. (lgbtqnation.com, 2018)

© Data by Sports Data Warehouse

Won bronze in the 1000m and finished 10th in the 1500m at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

World record holder in the 1000m (1:11.61), set in March 2019 at the World Cup Final in Salt Lake City. First broke the world record in November 2013 at the Salt Lake City World Cup (1:12.58), finishing 0.1 seconds ahead of Christine Nesbitt (CAN). The record was broken by compatriot Heather Richardson-Bergsma (USA) in November 2015 (1:12.51), before Bowe broke it by 0.33 seconds a week later in Salt Lake City (1:12.18). The record stood for another two years before Nao Kodaira (JPN) bettered it by 0.09 seconds. Bowe then broke the record for the last time 1.5 years later, eclipsing Kodaira's by 0.48 seconds.

Broke the 1500m world record in November 2015 (1:51.59) at the Calgary World Cup, beating Cindy Klassen's (CAN) record, which stood for 10 years, by 0.2 seconds. Bowe held the record for a week, before Heather Richardson-Bergsma (USA) bettered it by 0.74 seconds. Bowe has since bettered her time (1:50.32), which is a national record, but still 0.49 seconds behind Miho Takagi's (JPN) world record. Also, national record holder in the team pursuit (2:57.09), which was set in November 2013. Never held teh 500m national record.

Most World Single Distance Championship medals for a US female skater with 11 (Shani Davis has 15). Seven appearances (missed 2017 due to injury), winning the 1000m three times (2015, 2019, 2021), with another win the 1500m (2015). Has an additional four medals from the sprint championships.

Nine overall World Cup titles, topping the 1000m rankings five times, including the past three seasons. Second most World Cup wins and podiums for a US female skater, with 40 wins and 89 podium finishes (Bonnie Blair has 69 wins and 127 podiums). Has 30 individual victories, with 19 in the 1000m. In January 2021, she became the first female skater since Heather Richardson-Bergsma (USA) in November 2016 to win both the 1000m and 1500m at successive World Cups.