The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

RIO de Janeiro, Brazil — The Purdue University connection is back together again. And even though only sprinter Carmiesha Cox will be competing, injured hurdler Devynne Charlton is experiencing the Games Village experience at the 2016 Olympic Games as her team-mate.

Cox, the 21-year-old junior at Purdue, is in the pool for the women’s 4 x 200 metre relay.

The 20-year-old Charlton, who qualified for the women’s 100m hurdles but had to shut down her season before her sophomore outdoor season for the Boilermakers because of an injury, has been allowed to occupy the Games Village as an Olympian.

“This has been a wonderful experience, one that I will never forget,” Cox said. “It was always my goal to compete in the Olympics and I’m here.”

Not only did she qualify as part of the women’s relay team, but Cox also did the standard for the women’s 200m. Unfortunately, four other women ran faster than her with three of them, national champion Ty’Nia Gaither, Anthonique Strachan and Sheniqua ‘Q’ Ferguson running in the preliminaries of the 200m. Gaither was the only one to qualify for the semi-final. Shaunae Miller, the fastest qualifier, did not contest the event as she concentrated on the 400m.

“I really would have liked to compete in the 200m, but the women ahead of me deserve their chance to compete,” Cox said.

“My time will come, so I’m not too concerned about it. I just have to concentrate on what I came here to do and that is the relay.”

When the preliminaries of the relay take place on Friday, Cox is hoping that she will be one of the quartet that will come out of the pool that includes Miller, Strachan, Lanece Clarke and Christine Amertil.

“We’ve been going to practice every day,” said Cox of the members of the team that don’t have any individual duties here. “We’re gelling and coming together. We’re just waiting to compete.”

And with some company in the Charlton family in the village, Cox said she has been able to pass some of the extra time.

“It’s always good to have someone who you are closely connected with to be around,” she said. “Although she’s injured, I’m glad that they gave Devynne the opportunity to be here in the village. She deserves it because she qualified to be here too.”

For Charlton, she’s just appreciative of the fact that she can be a part of the village experience.

“This has given me a better perspective on how the athletes train and what are some of the things that they do to compete at this level,” she said.

“I know that I should be here, but due to circumstances, I won’t be able to compete, but I just want to be here to support Team Bahamas.”

Although she hasn’t done much in terms of training, Charlton said the trip here has been an eye opener for her and it will only increase her desire to go back to Purdue and begin her preparation for 2017 and hopefully her first trip to the IAAF World Championships in Tokyo, Japan.

In the meantime, she’s wishing every member of Team Bahamas, including Cox and also Pedrya Seymour, who will compete in the heats of the women’s 100m hurdles today.

“I really wished I was competing, but there’s always a next time,” she said. “There’s a time for everything and everyone and this is just not my time.”