NATHAN Douglas hopes this weekend’s British Indoor Championships acts as a springboard towards a third Olympic Games.

The triple-jumper from Oxford City AC competes in Glasgow on Sunday as he targets a performance that sets him on the path to Tokyo 2020.

Douglas’s last Olympic appearance was in Beijing 12 years ago, after injury ruled him out of London 2012 and he did not make the Team GB squad for Rio.

Those setbacks would make a seat on the plane to Japan extra special, admits the 37-year-old.

“It’s tricky to put into words,” he said.

“It’s the fact that I know I’ve had a difficult time, like not being picked for teams when I could have been.

“To call myself a triple Olympian would be a fantastic achievement.

“It’s something I could never have dreamt of as a boy.”

Douglas reached the Athens Games in 2004 aged 21, but as in Beijing four years later he missed out on the final.

Those displays came during the most successful era of his career, which saw him win silver at the European indoor and outdoor championships in 2006 and 2007 respectively.

Injuries have hampered the veteran triple-jumper in recent times, although he has won seven national titles and claimed silver at last year’s event.

This weekend is his only indoor appearance of the year and Douglas knows it will be a barometer of whether he can recreate past glories.

He said: “The indoors is about dusting the cobwebs off before starting the outdoor season in April.

“Obviously I’m also aiming to win, but my main aim is just to see how my training has gone.

“The more championships you’ve been to, the more you know your body. I’m just trying to get a bit of a grasp.”

After the British Championships, Douglas will build up to the outdoor equivalent in Manchester, which serve as Team GB’s official Olympic trials.

A top-two finish, along with a jump of the required distance, would see him qualify for the Games and complete a stunning comeback.

He said: “That’s really everything I’m looking for, so fingers crossed.

“Tokyo is the main aim. Everything is leading towards getting on that plane.”

Douglas’s Oxford City clubmate Alice Hopkins also competes in Glasgow, as she goes for gold in the long jump.