Erin Jackson, Chicago area-native Sarah Warren aim for Olympic speedskating gold

A reigning Olympic gold medalist aims to defend her spot as the world’s fastest sprinter, and a Chicago-area native seeks to join her on the podium Sunday.

The finals of the 500-meter speedskating competition are set for Sunday morning, and American fans will have two athletes to root for in the event.

For Chicago-area residents, suburban speedskater Sarah Warren will be making her Olympic debut, skating in the second pair of the competition kicking off at 10 a.m. Central time.

Warren finished second in the U.S. speedskating trials earlier this year, and she’s gone through a lot to get to the starting line in Milan-Cortina, undergoing nine different knee surgeries during her career.

Now, the Willow Brook Estates-native is hoping to make a statement on the world stage in the premier sprint event of the Olympics.

A lot of eyes worldwide will also be on Jackson, the reigning Olympic gold medalist in the 500 meters. She had served as one of the U.S. team’s flag bearers during the Opening Ceremony earlier this month, and now she enters center stage to compete for a second consecutive gold medal.

Jackson will be in the final pairing of the day, skating alongside Femke Kok in that 15^th group. Kok won a silver medal in the 1,000-meter sprint earlier in the Olympics, and will be competing in her second event of the Games on Sunday.