The first African American to win a gold medal in an individual event at the Olympic Summer Games, Shani Davis won the world record in the Men's Speed Skating 1500m in 2006, and then beat his own record in 2007.
At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, Davis became the first African American athlete to win a gold medal in an individual event at the Olympic Winter Games, winning the speedskating 1000 meter event. 
