THE Guyana team in the South American Junior Championships will be without CARIFTA Games gold medallist Natrena Hooper, after it was confirmed yesterday that the US-based athlete will not be travelling home for the June 3-4 event.
Officials said that the 18-year-old was injured during training, and has therefore decided to end her season. A South American Youth Championships silver medallist, Hooper was expected to be one of the leading athletes for the Guyana side.

“She’s carrying an ankle injury that she picked up in training. With such a close time to the meet we weren’t quite sure that she would be able to recover from it in time,” said Hooper’s former local coach Julian Edmonds, who is also one of the coaches currently training the Guyana team.
The news comes as a blow to the team, with high hopes for Hooper, who clinched her first CARIFTA Games gold medal only two months ago, when she performed in the Girls’ Under-20 triple jump. This was marked improvement from the silver medal she copped at the Games last year.

Hooper won the gold with a distance of 13.08m, enjoying a season-best of 13.20m. The lanky athlete is also a competent quarter-miler, and was also expected to lend support in the Girls’ 4x400m relay.
“Obviously it’s going to be a big loss to the team, because definitely she was a medal prospect for the triple jump. But I guess now it’s an opportunity for someone else to come to the party,” Edmonds conveyed.

Outside of Hooper, however, there will still be youth jumper Chantoba Bright, who has been clearing as far as 12.59m this season. With Guyana allowed two athletes per event, Bright was already being considered to be in this event.
To fill Hooper’s void, manager Cornel Rose, has noted that possible back-up athletes include Ruth Sanmoogan.
In the 400m, the team will be buoyed by the return of National Schools Championships record-holder Avon Samuels, who has been off the track for the past few months due to injury. However the Running Brave Athletics Club athlete is excited to return with a bang at the Championships.