The 400-metre runner was part of the women's victorious relay quartet alongside Christine Ohuruogu, Nicola Sanders and Perri Shakes Drayton at last month's World Indoor Championships in Istanbul, where Great Britain achieved their best ever medal haul of nine.

Hopes are now high of the track and field team hitting UK Athletics head coach Charles van Commenee's target of eight medals at the Olympics and Cox could well play a key role in winning one of them in the 4x400m.

The 27-year-old, who switched allegiance from the USA last year and was making her first appearance in a major championships for Britain in Istanbul, admits their thrilling gold has served as a real confidence boost but insists there's plenty more hard work for everyone to put in.

Speaking at an Aviva-sponsored training camp in Los Angeles, Cox said: "I enjoyed the last few months. I worked hard and also got the opportunity to compete which breaks up the monotony of training but now that's over and done with I'm excited to get back on the outdoor track and look ahead to the summer.

"Istanbul was the icing on the cake. I think I had a great season leading up to then and I really enjoyed competing and racing out there.

"And of course the relay was phenomenal - it was one of the most exciting things to happen at the event and has given me and the team plenty of confidence for the outdoor season for sure.

"I think after the gold we were all expecting to go home and train hard because we know that come the outdoor season we'll need to be at our best in competition again.

Success

"It was a huge accomplishment but at the same time everybody is on the same page in knowing that it's time to train, work hard and try to repeat what we did this summer.

"There's still around 100 days left before the Games begin and so much work for us still to do. If we get bogged down with the prospect of competing at the Olympics then everything else gets lost.

"It's so important to concentrate on what you have to do first. The competitions, the weights, the sessions, the runs - all that stuff has to be done first before you get there otherwise it gets lost and that's how you can show up ill prepared.

"I know the Olympics are coming but as an athlete - and I'm not the only one who feels this way - there's so much to do before then and so much preparation that you have to do.

"And that's what excites me. The preparation excites me, the sessions excite me and the training excites me.

"Of course once you've done what you need to and got there, that experience will excite me too but so does all the things in-between as well."

Cox was one of the so-called "plastic Brits" on the team in Istanbul but remains thankful to how the whole team welcomed her into the set-up.

"They have been very welcoming and very, very warm," said Cox, whose parents were both born in Britain. "It's been a really pleasant experience and I'm very happy and excited about that. If ever I have any questions, everyone has been more than willing to answer them and help me."

Team work

Cox has been training with Ohuruogu in recent months and that's one of the reasons why Van Commenee believes the defending Olympic 400m champion is back to her best.

It's a partnership Cox has also been benefitting from and she said: "Working with each other has helped us both - we have a great team of 400m girls we train with and everyone has different strengths and we really have been helping each other out a lot over the last few months.

"Christine is a phenomenal athlete and I've been really impressed. She's worked hard in training, picked up her form in Istanbul and now she's in great shape."

Cox will be one of the favourites to take one of the individual 400m spots in the British team but is expecting a tough challenge at the trials.

She said: "It's always been tough and will continue to be tough - when one person does well, everybody else has to. We all have to step it up and that's the great thing about our team and the competition."

Cox is yet to decide if she wants to compete at this summer's European Championships, which takes place in Helsinki just over a month before the athletics at London 2012 gets under way.

She added: The Europeans are something me and my coach will have to sit down and talk about as the season goes on. I'll need to see where I am fitness wise, what I need in terms of races and what would work best for myself and the team.

"We'll tackle all these issues as the season goes on but it's an exciting meet and if I do get the opportunity to run there then it will be a blessing for sure."