After nearly two months away from home Jenn Jackson can finally rest.
After her first World Cup Top 12 finish in Mont Sainte Anne earlier this month, the elite mountain biker capped off her season with a gold medal at the Pan Am Games in Santiago, Chile last week, and she couldn乌鸦传媒檛 be happier.
乌鸦传媒淚 had an amazing experience in Santiago,乌鸦传媒� she said from her home in Maple Bay. 乌鸦传媒淔rom getting the full Team Canada uniform, to meeting such a variety of sportspeople in the athletes乌鸦传媒� village, and then competing to win my first international race 乌鸦传媒� at a major games no less 乌鸦传媒� it couldn乌鸦传媒檛 have been a better way to wrap up the season.乌鸦传媒�
Competing in the women乌鸦传媒檚 elite cross country Olympic length race, the 28-year-old beat out Chile乌鸦传媒檚 own 22-year-old racer, Catalina Viduarre Kossmann for the top of the podium.
乌鸦传媒淭he course was fast,乌鸦传媒� Jackson said. 乌鸦传媒淎 lot of lower-grade, undulating descents which I乌鸦传媒檓 quite good at carrying momentum through and enjoy racing, and mix of paved, steep, and dirt climbing. The single track sections were quite extended, so I knew my best strategy was to push to the front early and try to control the race from there where I wouldn乌鸦传媒檛 risk getting stuck behind other riders and potentially losing time.乌鸦传媒�
The rider said once she got to the front after the start climb, she set her pace and just stuck to it.
The strategy worked.
乌鸦传媒淚 knew that even if they could match the pace for the first couple laps, that it would probably be above their limit and would burn them off in the later laps, which worked perfectly,乌鸦传媒� she said.
After an extended period away from home while competing, for now, Jackson is happy to be home.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 back home in Duncan now and will take a few weeks of rest, no structured training, just riding with my friends or hiking when the weather is nice,乌鸦传媒� she said.
乌鸦传媒淭his last trip was really long; I haven乌鸦传媒檛 been home since Aug. 5, which was a big trip but fortunately I managed it well, the racing was successful, and didn乌鸦传媒檛 get too homesick. That said, I乌鸦传媒檓 very happy to be back.乌鸦传媒�
