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Brittany Bowe

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Brittany Bowe
Bowe in 2026
Personal information
BornBrittany Starr Bowe[1]
(1988-02-24) February 24, 1988 (age 38)
Ocala, Florida, US
Height5 ft 7 in (170 cm)
Weight145 lb (66 kg)
Sport
Country United States
SportSpeed skating
Events
500 m, 1000 m, 1500 m
Coached byRyan Shimabukuro
Medal record
Representing the  United States
Women's speed skating
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place2018 PyeongchangTeam pursuit
Bronze medal – third place2022 Beijing1000 m
World Sprint Championships
Gold medal – first place2015 AstanaSprint
Gold medal – first place2016 SeoulSprint
Silver medal – second place2018 ChangchunSprint
Bronze medal – third place2019 HeerenveenSprint
World Single Distances Championships
Gold medal – first place2015 Heerenveen1000 m
Gold medal – first place2015 Heerenveen1500 m
Gold medal – first place2019 Inzell1000 m
Gold medal – first place2021 Heerenveen1000 m
Silver medal – second place2015 Heerenveen500 m
Silver medal – second place2016 Kolomna500 m
Silver medal – second place2021 Heerenveen1500 m
Silver medal – second place2024 CalgaryTeam sprint
Bronze medal – third place2013 Sochi1000 m
Bronze medal – third place2016 Kolomna1000 m
Bronze medal – third place2016 Kolomna1500 m
Bronze medal – third place2019 Inzell1500 m
Bronze medal – third place2023 HeerenveenTeam pursuit
Four Continents Championships
Gold medal – first place2025 Hachinohe1000 m
Silver medal – second place2024 Salt Lake CityTeam sprint
Women's inline speed skating
World Championships
(road)
Gold medal – first place2006 Anyang5000 m relay
Gold medal – first place2007 Cali500 m
Gold medal – first place2007 Cali5000 m relay
Gold medal – first place2008 Gijón5000 m relay
Bronze medal – third place2007 Cali200 m
World Championships
(track)
Gold medal – first place2006 Anyang3000 m relay
Gold medal – first place2007 Cali3000 m relay
Gold medal – first place2008 Gijón300 m
Gold medal – first place2008 Gijón3000 m relay
Silver medal – second place2008 Gijón1000 m
Bronze medal – third place2008 Gijón500 m
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place2007 Rio de JaneiroCombined sprint

Brittany Starr Bowe (born February 24, 1988) is an American speed skater and former inline skater and basketball player. She has won eight gold, one silver, and two bronze medals from the world inline speedskating championships.[2] From her junior years, she has another 21 world championship medals.[2] She also has a gold medal from the combined sprint event in roller skating at the 2007 Pan American Games.[2]

In speed skating, she has specialized in the 500, 1000 and 1500 meters,[3] and she won the bronze medal on the 1000 meters distance in the 2013 World Single Distance Championships.[4] In the 2015 World Single Distance Championships, she won the gold medal on the same distance,[5][6] as well as another gold medal in the 1500 meters,[7][8][9] and the silver medal in the 500 meters.[10][11] Two weeks later, she also won the 2015 World Sprint Championships, winning all four races along the way.[12] She has two bronze medals, from the 2018 and 2022 Olympics.

For her performance in the 1000 metres competition of the Single Distance Championships, Bowe was awarded the 2015 Oscar Mathisen Award.[13]

Bowe is the current world record holder in the 1000 meters distance,[14] and has previously held the 1500 meters world record,[15] in which distance she holds the American record.[16]

Early life

[edit]

Bowe was born in Ocala, Florida,[2][3][17] to Michael and Deborah Bowe (née Starr), and grew up practicing several sports from an early age, including basketball and soccer. At the age of 2, she would give dribbling exhibitions at halftime of college basketball games.[18] Though making it to a statewide under-13 boys travel team in soccer, she gave that sport up, because of overlapping seasons with basketball.[18]

She attended the Trinity Catholic High School in Ocala,[19] and then Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton,[3] where she played basketball for the Florida Atlantic Owls. She graduated in 2010, majoring in sociology and social science.[3][18]

Inline speed skating

[edit]

In 1996, at the age of 8, Bowe began inline skating.[20] She competed at increasingly higher levels, ultimately participating in world championships from 2002 to 2008, where she won 32 medals altogether.[3] At the senior level, Bowe made her debut at the 2008 World Inline Speed Skating Championships in Gijón, Spain, where she was selected for the U.S. national team after qualifying at the 2008 Inline Speed Skating National Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado.[21]

Bowe is a 13-time medalist at the World Single Distances Championships (four gold, four silver, and five bronze). She has won medals four times at the World Sprint Championships (two gold, one silver, one bronze).[20] Beyond the world championships, Bowe represented the United States at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, where she won a gold medal in the combined sprint event in roller sports.[22][23]

After the 2008 world championships in inline speed skating, Bowe shifted focus to her basketball career, playing as a point guard for the Florida Atlantic Owls.[24] Watching former inline skating contemporaries Chad Hedrick and Heather Richardson compete at the 2010 Winter Olympics, she was inspired to transition to speed skating and moved to Salt Lake City in 2010 to pursue the sport full time.[20]

Basketball

[edit]

After the 2008 world championships in inline speed skating, Bowe focused on her basketball game,[2][18] playing as a point guard for the Florida Atlantic Owls.[18][19]

Florida Atlantic statistics

[edit]

Source[25]

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
Year Team GP Points FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2006–07 Florida Atlantic 30 161 32.4% 28.1% 56.4% 2.2 0.9 1.0 0.1 5.4
2007–08 Florida Atlantic 28 244 29.2% 26.9% 62.5% 3.3 4.1 1.5 0.1 8.7
2008–09 Florida Atlantic 29 316 33.8% 11.4% 72.0% 3.9 3.7 2.1 - 10.9
2009–10 Florida Atlantic 29 354 40.3% 12.5% 70.0% 4.1 4.7 1.7 0.0 12.2
Career 116 1075 34.2% 21.7% 67.0% 3.3 3.3 1.6 0.0 9.3

Speed skating

[edit]
Bowe at the World Single Distance Championships in Sochi, Russia, in March 2013

Watching friends from the inline years, such as Chad Hedrick and Heather Richardson, participating in the 2010 Winter Olympics, Bowe decided to pause her basketball career, and moved to Salt Lake City in 2010 to take up speed skating.[2]

She soon enjoyed success, and on January 19 and 20, 2013, she earned her first podium placings in the ISU Speed Skating World Cup, finishing third in both races over the 1000 metres distance at the World Cup stop in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.[26][27] Six weeks later, on March 3, she won her first World Cup gold medal in the 1000 metres at the World Cup stop in Erfurt, Germany.[28][29] Overall, she finished second in the women's 1000 metres World Cup, after Heather Richardson.[30]

On March 23, 2013, Bowe won her first world championship medal in speed skating, a bronze, in the women's 1000 metres distance of the World Single Distance Championships, finishing behind Olga Fatkulina of Russia and Ireen Wüst of the Netherlands.[4]

On November 17, 2013, Bowe set a new world record on 1000 meters with a time of 1:12.58 in the World Cup stop in Salt Lake City.[31] Over the 2013–14 World Cup season, she collected a total of five podium placings in the 1000 metres World Cup, one gold, three silver, and one bronze medal, for an overall silver medal, behind Heather Richardson. In the 1500 metres World Cup, Bowe collected one gold, one silver, and one bronze medal, for an overall bronze medal, behind Dutch skaters Ireen Wüst and Lotte van Beek.

The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, was somewhat of a disappointment, with Bowe finishing 13th in the 500 metres, 8th in the 1000 metres, and 14th in the 1500 metres.

In the 2015 World Single Distance Championships, she won gold medals in the 1000[5][6] and 1500 meters,[7][8][9] and a silver in the 500 meters.[10][11] She also won the 2015 World Sprint Championships.[12]

Over the 2014–15 World Cup season, Bowe collected four podium placings, three silver and one bronze, for an overall 5th place in the 500 metres World Cup, five podium placings, three gold and two silver, for an overall win in 1000 metres World Cup, and three podium placings, one gold and two silver, for an overall bronze medal in the 1500 metres World Cup.

Bowe competed in the 500m, 1000m , and 1500m individual events at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. She earned a bronze medal in the team pursuit event. [32]

In 2022 Olympic qualifications for the United States speed skating team, fellow speed skater and longtime friend to Bowe, Erin Jackson, slipped during the 500m race. Though Bowe had earned a qualification spot for this distance, she gave up her spot to Jackson, as Jackson was considered a favorite[33]. Jackson went on to win the gold medal in the 2022 Olympics for this event. Bowe was selected to be a flag bearer for the United States during the opening ceremony after the original bearer, Elana Meyers Taylor, tested positive for COVID-19[34]. Bowe earned a bronze medal in the 1000m event.

Prior to the 2026 Olympics, Bowe announced that they would be her last. She competed in the 1000m, 1500m, and team pursuit events, finishing fourth in all three events[35].

Records

[edit]

Personal records

[edit]
Personal records[36]
Speed skating
Event Result Date Location Notes
500 m37.03November 20, 2015Utah Olympic Oval, Salt Lake City
1000 m1:11.61March 9, 2019Utah Olympic Oval, Salt Lake CityCurrent world record.[14]
1500 m1:50.32March 10, 2019Utah Olympic Oval, Salt Lake City
3000 m4:13.99November 2, 2012Pettit National Ice Center, Milwaukee

World records

[edit]
World records[37]
Speed skating
Event Result Date Location Notes
1000 m1:12.58November 17, 2013Utah Olympic Oval, Salt Lake CityWorld record until beaten by Heather Richardson-Bergsma on November 14, 2015.[38]
1000 m1:12.18November 22, 2015Utah Olympic Oval, Salt Lake CityWorld record until beaten by Nao Kodaira on December 10, 2017.[38]
1500 m1:51.59November 15, 2015Olympic Oval, CalgaryWorld record until beaten by Heather Richardson-Bergsma on November 21, 2015.[15]
1000 m1:11.61March 9, 2019Utah Olympic Oval, Salt Lake CityCurrent world record.[14]

Results timeline

[edit]
SeasonWorld SprintWorld SDWorld CupOlympic Games
2011–1218th16th 2x500 m
8th 1000 m		20th 500 m
10th 1000 m
31st 1500 m		Not held
2012–138th14th 2x500 m
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 1000 m		15th 500 m
2nd place, silver medalist(s) 1000 m
28th 1500 m
2013–14Did not
participate		Not held11th 500 m
2nd place, silver medalist(s) 1000 m
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 1500 m
3rd GWC		13th 2x500 m
8th 1000 m
14th 1500 m
6th team pursuit
2014–151st place, gold medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2x500 m
1st place, gold medalist(s) 1000 m
1st place, gold medalist(s) 1500 m		5th 500 m
1st place, gold medalist(s) 1000 m
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 1500 m
28th mass start
3rd GWC		Not held
2015–161st place, gold medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2x500 m
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 1000 m
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 1500 m		 Not held
2017-20182nd place, silver medalist(s) 5th 500m

4th 1000m

5th 1500m
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Team Pursuit

2021-2022Did not
participate		1st place, gold medalist(s) 1000 m
1st place, gold medalist(s) 1500 m		1st place, gold medalist(s) 1000 m
2nd place, silver medalist(s) 1500 m		 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)1000m

10th 1500m

2024–25Did not
participate		15th, 7th 500 m
5th, 2nd place, silver medalist(s), 5th, 6th 1000 m
6th, 6th, 11th, 11th 1500 m
3rd place, bronze medalist(s), 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Team pursuit		 Not held
2025–265th, 5th, 4th, 4th, 4th 1000 m
6th, 3rd place, bronze medalist(s), 4th, 5th, 5th 1500 m
3rd place, bronze medalist(s), 4th, 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Team pursuit		4th 1000m

4th 1500m
4th Team Pursuit

[39][40]


World Cup overall trophy

[edit]
Season 1000 meter Points 1500 meter Points
2015–2016710590
2018–2019397378
2019–2020326N/a
2020–2021120120
2021–2022330256
2023–2024297N/a
2024–2025256
2025–2026209

Personal life

[edit]

Bowe is a lesbian[41] and began dating ice hockey player Hilary Knight in 2022.[42] They got engaged during the 2026 Winter Olympics.[43]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Bowe-lieving in Brittany: Woman with Waterloo ties will go for gold in Sochi Olympics". Finger Lakes Times. February 2, 2014. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Brittany Bowe". usspeedskating.org. Archived from the original on May 13, 2013. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Brittany Bowe". teamusa.org. Archived from the original on November 10, 2013. Retrieved July 6, 2013.
  4. 1 2 "Essent ISU World Single Distances Championships 2013 – Result 1000m Ladies – Rankings as of Mar 23 2013 2:18PM". International Skating Union. March 23, 2013. Retrieved July 6, 2013.
  5. 1 2 "ISU World Single Distances Championships 2015 – Result 1000m Ladies – Rankings as of Feb 13 2015 6:44PM". International Skating Union. February 13, 2015. Archived from the original on February 15, 2015. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
  6. 1 2 "ISU World Single Distance Championships 2015 – Heerenveen (NED) Friday – Day 2". International Skating Union. February 13, 2015. Archived from the original on March 26, 2015. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
  7. 1 2 "ISU World Single Distances Championships 2015 – Result 1500m Ladies – Rankings as of Feb 15 2015 2:46PM". International Skating Union. February 15, 2015. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  8. 1 2 "Kulizhnikov (RUS) and Bowe (USA) take 500m and 1500 titles on final day in Thialf". International Skating Union. February 15, 2015. Archived from the original on March 26, 2015. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  9. 1 2 "Brittany Bowe wins 1,500 at worlds". ESPN. February 15, 2015. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  10. 1 2 "ISU World Single Distances Championships 2015 – Result 500m Ladies – Rankings as of Feb 14 2015 3:24PM". International Skating Union. February 14, 2015. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
  11. 1 2 "ISU World Single Distance Championships 2015 – Heerenveen (NED) Saturday – Day 3". International Skating Union. February 14, 2015. Archived from the original on March 26, 2015. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
  12. 1 2 "Bowe and Kulizhnikov clinch World Sprint title in style". International Skating Union. March 1, 2015. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Brittany Bowe wins the 2015 Oscar Award". US Speedskating. May 20, 2015. Archived from the original on September 21, 2015. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
  14. 1 2 3 "World Records". speedskatingresults.com. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  15. 1 2 "Evolution of the world record 1500 meters Women". speedskatingstats.com. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  16. ↑ "National Records – United States (USA)". speedskatingresults.com. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  17. ↑ "Athletes: Speed Skating, Brittany Bowe". pmgsports.com. Archived from the original on February 8, 2013. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 Hersh, Philip (December 26, 2012). "From basketball court to speedskating rink". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
  19. 1 2 "5 Brittany Bowe". Official site of the Florida Atlantic Owls. Archived from the original on September 12, 2015. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  20. 1 2 3 "Brittany Bowe: Meet the Athlete". NBC Olympics. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
  21. ↑ "USA Roller Sports Announces 2008 Inline Speed Skating World Team". World Skate. 2008. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
  22. ↑ "Bowe, Mantia take gold at Pan Am Games". Ocala StarBanner. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Brittany Bowe – International Skating Union". International Skating Union. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
  24. ↑ "Brittany Bowe". Florida Atlantic University. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
  25. ↑ "NCAA Statistics". web1.ncaa.org. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  26. ↑ "Essent ISU World Cup Calgary – Result 1000m Ladies Division A – Rankings as of Jan 19 2013 1:35PM". International Skating Union. January 19, 2013. Archived from the original on May 30, 2013. Retrieved July 6, 2013.
  27. ↑ "Essent ISU World Cup Calgary – Result 1000m Ladies Division A – Rankings as of Jan 20 2013 1:14PM". International Skating Union. January 20, 2013. Archived from the original on May 29, 2013. Retrieved July 6, 2013.
  28. ↑ "Essent ISU World Cup Erfurt – Result 1000m Ladies Division A – Rankings as of Mar 3 2013 1:42PM". International Skating Union. March 3, 2013. Archived from the original on May 27, 2013. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
  29. ↑ "Brittany Bowe skates to 1,000m win". ESPN. March 3, 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  30. ↑ "Essent ISU WorldCup 2012/2013 – World Cup Ladies 1000m – Rankings 1000m Ladies – Rankings as of Mar 10 2013 6:56PM". International Skating Union. March 10, 2013. Archived from the original on May 28, 2013. Retrieved July 6, 2013.
  31. ↑ "Brittany Bowe (USA) sets 1000m world record". International Skating Union. November 17, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2013.[permanent dead link]
  32. ↑ "U.S. long-track speedskating medal drought ends with bronze in women's team event". The Washington Post. February 21, 2018. Archived from the original on August 24, 2025. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
  33. ↑ "Brittany Bowe gives up Olympic Team spot to childhood friend Erin Jackson after slip at U.S. Trials | NBC Olympics". www.nbcolympics.com. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
  34. ↑ Coles, Joe (February 5, 2022). "Why Salt Lake's Brittany Bowe was Team USA's flag bearer at Olympics opening ceremony". Deseret News. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
  35. ↑ Rorabaugh, Dan. "Brittany Bowe closes Olympics career at 1500 meters. Results from race". The Star Banner. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
  36. ↑ "Brittany Bowe". speedskatingresults.com. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  37. ↑ "Brittany Bowe". speedskatingstats.com. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  38. 1 2 "Evolution of the world record 1000 meters Women". speedskatingstats.com. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  39. ↑ "Brittany Bowe". speedskatingstats.com. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  40. ↑ "Brittany Bowe". speedskatingstats.com. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  41. ↑ Outsports: At least 35 out LGBTQ athletes in Beijing Winter Olympics, a record, January 2022.
  42. ↑ Maharjan, Anisha (April 18, 2023). "Hilary Knight Partner Brittany Bowe Is A Speed Skater". Sports Lulu. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  43. ↑ ESPN.com (February 18, 2026). "Team USA's Knight, Bowe get engaged at the Olympics". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
[edit]
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