B.C. Teen Jenna Spencer Finishes Second Overall on Youth Luge World Cup
WINTERBERG, Ger.—Canada’s Jenna Spencer put her name in the history books as the first luge athlete from British Columbia to finish on the podium in the overall Youth World Cup. Spencer locked up second spot as the World Cup circuit for the next generation of Olympians came to an end on Saturday in Winterberg, Germany.
The Pemberton, B.C. teen, who was inspired to try the sport five years ago as part of an evolving youth luge program in Whistler when the track was constructed in her own backyard, slid to the podium three times this year, racking up two bronze and one silver medal in six World Cup starts. In the mix for the medals throughout the season, the 16 year old first broke onto the international podium last year when she was third in Igls, Austria.
“My season was very successful. I did the best I could every race, and I think my overall result proves it,” said Spencer, who locked up second spot with a seventh-place finish in the season finale on Saturday. “I will continue to work hard through the summer and keep getting better. I hope to bring home a golden globe in the future. I’m happy to make Canada proud, and I give a huge thanks to my coaches.”
Spencer became the first athlete on the West Coast last year to qualify for the national women’s youth team last year.
“Jenna’s result aids in the development of the high-performance culture being established in Whistler,” said Walter Corey, high-performance director, Canadian Luge Association, who relocated to Whistler to grow the sport on Canada’s West Coast. “Jenna's accomplishment is an inspiration to our local athletes, and a shared reward with our community of volunteers and sport partners. Jenna demonstrates providing youth athletes with access to facilities and programs, Canada can deliver more medal winners.”
Other Canadian performances on Saturday included: Jordyn Carss finishing eighth and Laura Glover ninth in junior women’s racing. Tim Stone placed seventh in youth men’s action.
The Canadian Luge Association is a not-for-profit organization responsible for governing the sport of luge across the country. With the financial backing of its title sponsor, Fast Track Capital, along with the support from the Government of Canada, Canadian Olympic Committee and Own the Podium, the Canadian Luge Association safely recruits and develops the nations current and future high-performance luge athletes with the goal of regularly climbing onto the international podium. For more information on the Canadian Luge Association, please visit us at www.luge.ca on the Internet.
COMPLETE RESULTS: www.fil-luge.org