17-year-old becomes first black woman to qualify for u.s. olympic speedskating team

17-year-old Maame Biney broke records this weekend when she became the first Black woman to qualify for the U.S. Olympic speedskating team preparing to compete in the Winter Games in Pyeongchang this Febuarary. With two victories in the 500 meter after besting Olympians Lana Gehring, Jessica Kooreman, and Katherine Reutter-Adamek, the Ghanaian-American athlete was overjoyed and stunned by her accomplishments when she addressed the media after the race: “I can’t believe it, aww geez. It’s a really good feeling, but it has to set in first because it takes me a while. I’m like, ‘Holy cow.’”

Seventeen-year-old speedskater Maame Biney just punched her ticket to the 2018 Olympics in South Korea. pic.twitter.com/VlrLuQFrMW

— Chris Kamrani (@chriskamrani) December 16, 2017

Good luck in Pyeongchang, Maame! #rootingforeverybodyblack