City of Ocala celebrates the return of Olympic medalists with parade and keys to the city

OCALA, Fla. — The City of Ocala celebrated the triumphant homecoming of three famed Olympians on Saturday.

Hundreds of people came out for a parade for Olympic athletes Brittany Bowe, Erin Jackson and Joey Mantia.

>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<

The trio recently took home medals for speed skating at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

All three athletes, who are originally from Ocala, arrived at Orlando International Airport on Saturday morning.

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 16

City of Ocala Winter Olympic Medal Winners Parade

WATCH: Elderly man ‘pummeled’ after confronting driver while walking out of Publix, police say

Jackson won the gold medal in the 500-meter, Bowe took home bronze on the 1,000-meter event and Mantia won a team bronze.

Jackson is the first Black woman to win a Winter Olympic gold medal in an individual sport.

Read: Taylor Hawkins death: Foo Fighters drummer had 10 drugs in his system, Colombian officials say

“Go out there and try something you’ve never tried before, chase your dreams,” Jackson said.

Read: Family of teen killed during free fall ride at ICON Park retains high-profile attorneys

During Saturday’s celebration, the athletes were given the keys to the city by the mayor.

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

©2022 Cox Media Group