Jamaican quarter-miler Anthony Cox says he is very relieved and also excited after being added to the country’s team for this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris.

Cox, along with sprinter Kemba Nelson, was added to the Jamaican contingent for the Olympic Games after initially being left off the 66-member team by the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA).

The 23-year-old Cox, who finished sixth in the final of the men’s 400m event at the JAAA National Championships last month, has replaced Kimar Farquharson as a reserve on the men’s mixed 4x400m relay team.

Nelson, who finished fifth in the 100m final at the National Championships, was added to the women’s 4x100m relay team as a reserve athlete.

Cox, who will be attending the Olympic Games for the first time, said he is grateful for the opportunity and is looking to put on a great show if he is given the chance.

“This is a great feeling for me because it is everyone’s dream to make the Olympic team,” said Cox. “This is my first Olympic Games and so I am really excited for it. I have been working very hard for this spot, me and my coach, so it is a great feeling for us now.”

Cox, who has a season’s best time of 45.98 and a personal best effort of 45.43, is coached by Olympian Sanjay Ayre at the Chase Athletics, which is based in Maryland, United States.

Cox said it is a bittersweet moment for him as he was distraught after initially being left off the team.

Now he plans to make the most of this opportunity when he gets to Paris.

“It was very disappointing for me and my coach because I really felt bad about it, knowing the form that I am in right now and I know that I can make a positive impact on the team,” said Cox, a former St Jago High School standout.

“When I get there, only my best will be good enough and so I am excited to just go out and showcase my talent for all to see. It has been a rough season for me back and forth travelling from Jamaica to the United States, and Sanjay has been there for me with everything, so it is really pleasing to get this end result,” he added.

Ayre, who represented Jamaica at the Olympic Games in the 4×400 relays in 2000 and 2004, and in the 400m and 4x400m relay, respectively, in 2008, highlighted that he is delighted that Cox has now been selected to the country’s Olympic team. He pointed out that this opportunity will help open new doors for him in the future.

“I am feeling very happy for him because Anthony is a young quarter-miler and this year he ran without a contract, and he worked hard. I am delighted that he has made his first Olympic team. He is only 23 years old and he has great potential. I hope that he can continue to develop into a future quarter-miler for us in Jamaica,” he said.

“I am confident that if he gets an opportunity to run on the team, he will compete to the best of his abilities. Absolutely, let’s hope that this first Olympic team will open doors for him,” Ayre stated.

The Olympic Games is scheduled for July 26 to August 11.

Anthony Cox (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

AYRE…he is only 23 years old and he has great potential

Kemba Nelson of Jamaica competes in the women’s 4x100m during the World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, United States, on July 22, 2022. (Photo: Collin Reid)