Spencer (left) at the 2016 World Indoor Championships
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Personal information | |
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Born | June 8, 1993 |
Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) |
Weight | 58 kg (128 lb) |
Sport | |
Country | United States |
Sport | Track and field |
Event(s) | 400m hurdles |
Ashley Spencer (born June 8, 1993) is an American track and field athlete who competes in the 400 metres and the 400 metres hurdles. In the 400m hurdles, she is the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist. In the 400m, she is the 2012 World Junior Champion and the 2016 World Indoor silver medalist.
Born June 8, 1993 in Indianapolis, Indiana, Spencer attended the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, where she ran for the Illinois Fighting Illini and won 2 NCAA titles. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she ran for the Texas Longhorns. Her uncle is Steve Smith, the 1995 Pan American Games silver medalist in the high jump.
At the 2012 World Junior Championships Spencer won gold medals in both the 400 meters and the 4x400 meter relay.
At the 2013 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Spencer finished third in the 400m. This finish assured her selection for the 2013 World Championships in Moscow. At the World Championships she ran 51.48 in the 400m heats to qualify for the seminfinals, where she was eliminated running 51.80. She went on to win a silver medal in the 4 x 400m relay, along with Jessica Beard, Natasha Hastings and Francena McCorory.