As injury ravaged seasons go, you will be hard tasked to find one worse than Twinelle Hopeson’s this year but, while the Croydon sprinter’s body might have broken, her confidence is as strong as ever.

The Croydon Harrier, who celebrates her 20th birthday on Friday, headed into last season with high hopes of reaching the European Junior Championships in Tallinn, only for two hamstring tears to curtail those aspirations.

And with her legal season’s best 100m time of 12.12 seconds more than two tenths off her personal best, the former Archbishop Tenison’s School pupil chose to hang her spikes up early in July.

But with a new season comes new hope and with Hopeson now getting her head down in winter training, she is hungrier than ever to announce herself back with a bang.

“I tore my hamstring twice this year so it’s been a difficult season getting in and out of that but it’s clear at the moment so I can’t wait to get back into next year,” said Hopeson – speaking at the opening of the first new Lloyds TSB branch for seven years at Westfield Stratford City.

“Next year the Olympics are in London and you can’t be out for that. It is going to be such a great event and so I will be doing all I can to be back in shape in time.

“I just missed out on the European juniors as I had just finished rehab which was really unfortunate, but it’s motivated me to get back next year.

“There’s going to be lots of international competitions coming up and, as I’m no longer a first year in the U23s, I am looking to leave my mark.

“We have the International University Championships which is going to be held as a trial event before the Olympics at the Olympic Stadium so I really want to be a part of that just to get a feel of what the Olympic Stadium is going to be like and build from that.”

Despite admitting that next year’s Olympics will come too early in her fledgling career, Hopeson is keen to not let it pass her by.

“I got the opportunity to go to the Olympic Stadium and it brings it to life completely,” she added.

“You just can’t imagine what it’s going to be like in a year’s time and we’re getting so excited and determined to be a part of it.

“It’s on home turf so why shouldn’t we have any hopes to compete there?

"I’m still a bit young but if not there then I would like to go further on anyway and I am sure I will get my chance.”

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