Kaputin suffers Olympics setback with leg injury

JUMPS athlete Rellie Kaputin’s dream of qualifying for next year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, has suffered a setback with a foot injury sustained in Port Moresby recently.
Kaputin is in the nation’s capital to attend to Australian visa requirements before returning to the Gold Coast to prepare for the World Championships.
She qualified for the championships by winning the Oceania title with a personal best of 6.50m in the long jump.
Asked to assist with a clinic for schoolchildren by demonstrating the long jump, Kaputin landed awkwardly and the result was a badly swollen foot.
Athletics Papua New Guinea (APNG) arranged an X-ray before she was treated by Dr Ivan Ravu.
Head physiotherapist Matthew Natusch visited Port Moresby last week and spent time with Kaputin to set her on her way with some simple exercises that will aid her recovery and it is expected that she will soon begin a rehabilitation programme at the High Performance Centre at Taurama.
APNG president Tony Green thanked the medical staff for their support and commended Kaputin for the way she had handled the situation.