WEATHER. ANOTHER CHECK WITH OUR FIRST WARNING METEOROLOGIST IN JUST A FEW MINUTES AND NOT QUITE THE FINISH OF TEAM USA WAS LOOKING FOR, BUT PEOPLE OUT IN OCALA CAME OUT TODAY ALL TO SUPPORT ONE OF THEIR OWN, AARON JACKSON, HOPING TO SECURE GOLD IN THE 500M SPEED SKATING. JUST MISSED PODIUM PLACEMENT BY HALF A SECOND. WESH TWO TONY ATKINS WAS AT HER WATCH PARTY IN THE VILLAGES. HAMMER TIME BABY! A MORNING OF ANTICIPATION AS PEOPLE IN THE VILLAGES GATHERED FOR AN OLYMPIC WATCH PARTY. AARON JACKSON, A LIGHTNING FAST ICE SPEED SKATER LOOKING TO WIN GOLD IN HER SIGNATURE RACE. THE WOMEN’S 500M. SPEED SKATING. SHE KNOWS THAT WE’RE CHEERING FOR HER HERE. SUNDAY’S WATCH PARTY WAS HOSTED BY RENEE HILDEBRAND, WHO’S WORKED WITH THE OLYMPIC STAR SINCE THE BEGINNING. YEARS AGO, HILDEBRAND DISCOVERED HER SPEED AS A ROLLER SKATER AND SAW HER POTENTIAL ON THE ICE. SHE PRETTY MUCH STARTED OUT WINNING FROM DAY ONE. SHE’S BEEN VERY DOMINANT IN THE SPRINTS IN THE RACE. JACKSON FINISHING FIFTH AFTER A QUICK START SUNDAY, RECORDING A 37.32 SECOND TIME, JUST A HALF SECOND SHORT OF EARNING A MEDAL. THIS GIRL HAS BEEN KILLING EVERYBODY ALL YEAR, SO I REALLY WAS HOPING FOR A SECOND, BUT WE DIDN’T QUITE GET IT FIVE HUNDREDTHS OF A SECOND. AND EVEN THOUGH AARON JACKSON AND THE RED, WHITE AND BLUE DIDN’T TAKE HOME THE GOLD ON SUNDAY. USA PEOPLE HERE IN THE VILLAGES SAYS SHE STILL NUMBER ONE IN THEIR HEARTS. THE ONE GOOD THING ABOUT AARON, SHE KNOWS THAT’S NOT A FAILURE. SHE KNOWS THAT SHE JUST COMES
Local fans gather to support Central Florida native speedskater Erin Jackson
Updated: 9:08 PM EST Feb 15, 2026
Ocala residents gathered in The Villages to support Erin Jackson, who narrowly missed a medal in the women’s 500-meter speed skate at the Olympics, finishing fifth with a time of 37.32 seconds.A watch party hosted by Renee Hilderbrand, Jackson’s longtime coach, was filled with anticipation as locals cheered for the lightning-fast ice speedskater. “She knows that we’re cheering for her here,” Hilderbrand said.Hilderbrand, who discovered Jackson’s potential as a roller skater, has seen her dominate in sprints from the beginning. “She pretty much started out winning from day one. She’s been very dominant in the sprints,” Hilderbrand said.Despite Jackson’s quick start, she finished just half a second short of earning a medal. “She’s been killing it all year. I was hoping for a second (win), but we didn’t quite get it, 500ths of a second,” Hilderbrand said.Though Jackson did not win gold, the community in The Villages continues to support her, considering her a champion in their hearts. “The one good thing about Erin, she knows that’s not a failure. She comes back for the next race,” Hilderbrand said.
OCALA, Fla. —
Ocala residents gathered in The Villages to support Erin Jackson, who narrowly missed a medal in the women’s 500-meter speed skate at the Olympics, finishing fifth with a time of 37.32 seconds.
A watch party hosted by Renee Hilderbrand, Jackson’s longtime coach, was filled with anticipation as locals cheered for the lightning-fast ice speedskater.
“She knows that we’re cheering for her here,” Hilderbrand said.
Hilderbrand, who discovered Jackson’s potential as a roller skater, has seen her dominate in sprints from the beginning.
“She pretty much started out winning from day one. She’s been very dominant in the sprints,” Hilderbrand said.
Despite Jackson’s quick start, she finished just half a second short of earning a medal.
“She’s been killing it all year. I was hoping for a second (win), but we didn’t quite get it, 500ths of a second,” Hilderbrand said.
Though Jackson did not win gold, the community in The Villages continues to support her, considering her a champion in their hearts.
“The one good thing about Erin, she knows that’s not a failure. She comes back for the next race,” Hilderbrand said.