Shani Davis the first black athlete to win an individual gold medal at the Winter Games.

Blades cut historic path
Davis first black athlete with solo gold in Winter Games
By Randy Harvey
Sun Reporter
Originally published February 19, 2006
TURIN, Italy // Even as a child on Chicago's South Side, Shani Davis told friends he wanted to win speed skating's 1,000 meters at the Winter Olympics. He doesn't remember the reason he chose that event, but he must have had some sense of destiny because he won the race yesterday at the Oval Lingotto, becoming the first black athlete to win an individual gold medal at the Winter Games.

American Vonetta Flowers was the first black athlete to win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics with her victory in the bobsled four years ago in Salt Lake City, and Canadian hockey player Jarome Iginla later in those same Games became the first black man to win a winter gold medal.


But while Davis, 23, accepted his role as a pioneer, he didn't particularly embrace it.

"It's what people make of it," he said. "If people in America are excited and thrilled to have a black Olympic champion in speed skating, then I'm happy that I can make people happy."
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