Wren Acorn got a taste of what international short-track competition was all about last month in the Netherlands.

She鈥檒l get another taste next month and it鈥檚 even bigger than what happened in October.

The 18-year-old Yellowknife speedskater was named on Tuesday as one of 12 skaters for Canada鈥檚 short-track entry at the Winter Universiade in Lucerne, Switzerland, which begins on Dec. 11. The Universiade is organized by the International University Sports Federation and happens every two years.

Acorn had to play the waiting game in order to be selected and she said there was not the slightest bit of a hint that she would be chosen.

鈥淎 lot of sitting and waiting,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hose skaters who have higher rankings than I do got first dibs on getting to go but they鈥檙e all laser-focused on the (2022) Winter Olympics so that opened things up for me.鈥�

The team is scheduled to leave for Lucerne on Dec. 8 and will return to Canada on Dec. 15, not much of a chance to get to see the city, but Acorn said it鈥檚 all about the skating.

鈥淭his is a business trip,鈥� she said.

As mentioned, this will be the second time Acorn will get to wear the maple leaf; the first chance came at the International Invitation Cup in the Dutch city of Heerenveen. At that meet, it was all European countries she was up against. This time, the Asian nations, such as China and South Korea, will be out there.

Acorn said the Asian countries aren鈥檛 as physical as European skaters can be but the one thing she鈥檒l have to watch for is the quickness.

鈥淭he South Koreans tend to stay out of it until the last couple of laps and then they pick up the pace and go on the outside,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 tough to defend against because you can鈥檛 block speed. The Netherlands was a good introduction to international competition and I鈥檓 hoping to grow from that experience and work on what I learned there.鈥�

Before Lucerne, though, Acorn will have to contend with the Canadian Junior Short Track Championships in Sherbrooke, Que., at the end of this month. Acorn goes into the meet ranked no. 4 and is expected to be a contender for the title. The top three in the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 divisions will get the chance to represent Canada at the World Junior Short Track Championships in Poland this coming March.

Acorn said she isn鈥檛 looking ahead to Lucerne because junior nationals is a bigger event for her.

鈥淵ou can鈥檛 really compare the two events because junior nationals is a whole different beast altogether,鈥� she said. 鈥淚n Sherbrooke, I鈥檒l be one of the dominant skaters and I鈥檒l be fighting for a spot on the national team. Switzerland is all about learning for me. There鈥檚 two women from the World Cup team who will be going and I鈥檓 one of the younger ones learning from the elders, so to speak.鈥�

Even though it鈥檚 a learning experience, Acorn said she鈥檚 still excited to have the chance to go.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know too much about it but I really appreciate the opportunity to go and I hope I do well,鈥� she said.