NATHAN Douglas faces one of the biggest weekends of his career as he attempts to reach his third Olympic Games.

The Oxford City triple jumper competes at the British Championships in Birmingham today, bidding to secure direct qualification for Rio.

He is not the only Oxfordshire athlete attempting to compete at this summer’s Games, which begin on August 5.

Hurdler Lawrence Clarke, who hails from Christmas Common, near Watlington, and Oxford’s middle-distance runner Hannah England are also vying for a place in Team GB.

Douglas’s career has been hampered by injury, damaging ankle ligaments in 2011, before a thigh problem ruled him out of the London Olympics a year later.

He also suffered a fracture in his back at the Commonwealth Games in 2014, while a pinched knee and tight calf have restricted him to three competitions this season.

However, the 33-year-old remains optimistic he can add Rio to appearances at Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008.

“It would mean the world to me to qualify,” he said.

“Since 2011 I have been battling and it has taken some real resilience on my part.

“In life, stuff happens, but as long as you have faith in yourself it does not matter what people think.”

Douglas has one qualifying jump of 16.85m in the bag, but to secure automatic selection he needs to surpass the mark again and finish in the top two at the Alexander Stadium.

But the enormity of the task does not faze the Birmingham-based athlete.

“It’s fine, there is always pressure,” he said.

“You get used to it after a while once you have been on that stage and competing in front of thousands of people – you relish it.”

For Clarke, who was fourth in the 110m hurdles final at London 2012, the task is a little simpler.

The 26-year-old, who trains in Paris, France, has already banked his two qualifying times of 13.47secs, leaving him one task –finishing in the top two tomorrow.

He said: “Making the Olympics would be the culmination of eight years’ work.

“I was always targeting Rio and hypothetically I would come into it in my prime.

“If I did not make it, it would be a big blow, but I’m very keen to put everything I have on show.”

England races in the 1,500m heats today, with the final tomorrow, hoping to boost her Rio hopes although she is yet to run the standard of 4.07.00.

Radley duo Kathryn Woodcock (discus) and Alice Hopkins (100m hurdles) are also competing, as is City’s Alice Byles (400m hurdles).