SCOTS School Albury student Britteny Cox has been added to Australia’s Vancouver Winter Olympics squad and created history in the process.
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At 15 years and 115 days, Cox became the youngest Australian winter Olympian in 50 years when she was handed the final spot in the mogul skiing team.
She received the late call-up after Australia’s mogul team was allocated an additional spot, making her our youngest representative since figure skater Aileen Nash competed in the 1960 California games as a 14-year-old.
Now competing in France, Cox was kept in the dark about her selection so as not to detract from her performance in the Europa Cup, where she recently won bronze in the mogul freestyle.
“I spoke to her on the phone after she was picked but her coaches asked I didn’t tell her yet, so I did have to bite my tongue,” Britteny’s father Graeme Cox said yesterday.
Cox, a year 10 boarding student from Mount Beauty, was earmarked to spearhead Australia’s 2014 mogul campaign at Russia but forced national selectors to fast-track her development when she performed above expectations at her first World Cup at Deer Valley in the US earlier this month.
“We knew Britt was being prepared for the 2014 games, but after the World Cup they couldn’t really ignore her,” Mr Cox said.
“This selection has only occurred because she has wanted it so much and worked so hard for it.
“Britt’s always been very self-motivated and driven.
“She’s the same at school. Teachers and coaches never have to tell her to get going — they have to make sure she’s not overdoing it.”
Cox grew up at the Falls Creek Alpine Village and first skied when she was just 18 months old.
She won her first moguls event when she was eight before going on to win the NSW Institute of Sport’s Emerging Athlete Scholarship in 2008.
Cox was Australia’s 2008 junior women’s mogul champion and subsequently selected to represent Australia in the northern hemisphere’s winter season where she achieved three top-10 results at international meets.
From there, she was appointed to the senior institute’s Skiing and Snowboard Australia squad and Australia’s Development Freestyle Mogul Team.
Cox’s older brother, Hamish, has played a major role in her rapid rise, coaching and travelling with his sister whenever possible.
Mr Cox said the community had played a large part in his daughter’s success.
“Scots School Albury has been really good to Britt — they send her homework all over the place and make sure she keeps on top,” the proud father said.
In addition, Falls Creek Ski Lifts provided Cox with a $1000 athlete sponsorship package.
