Ashley Spencer (athlete)

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.

Spencer won a silver medal in the 400m in 51.77 and a gold medal in the 4 x 400m relay at the 2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Portland, Oregon. Later that year at the United States Olympic Trials, she finished second behind Dalilah Muhammad in the 400m hurdles in a personal best of 54.02, to earn selection for the Rio Olympics. She also finished seventh in the 400m final at the trials in 51.09. At the Rio Olympics, she won the bronze medal in the 400m hurdles in a personal best time of 53.72 seconds.

Spencer is coached by Tonja Buford-Bailey, who is the 1996 Olympic bronze medalist in the 400m hurdles.