NATHAN Douglas believes a lack of competing in recent years could play into his hands as he eyes a third Olympic Games this summer.

Douglas, who turned 33 last December, has made no secret of his aim to qualify for Rio, adding to his appearances at Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008.

He is also targeting the IAAF World Championships in London next year, as well as the Commonwealth Games in 2018.

The Oxford City triple jumper has had an injury-plagued career, damaging ankle ligaments in 2011, before a thigh injury ruled him out of the London Olympics a year later.

He also suffered a fracture in his back at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Douglas, who pinched his knee at the British Indoor Championships in February, is now fully focused on the outdoor season, which is now under way.

And the Birmingham-based athlete believes the amount of time he has spent away from the track may well mean he can extend his athletics career.

When asked if Rio could be his last shot at an Olympics, Douglas said: “Potentially, but four years is a long time.

“I’m not going to say it is because I am the kind of person who has not competed a lot.

“It is not an age thing, but how many miles you have on the clock.

“I have not competed myself to death or hit my body hard, so I have probably got an extra few years in the tank because of that.

“My body has not got that kind of wear and tear.”

To qualify for Rio, the task is simple – jump the qualifying standard of 16.85 metres at least twice and finish in the top two at the British Championships in Birmingham on June 24-26.

He already has one jump in the bag – his effort of 16.94m at last year’s British Championships.

Douglas is confident of making the team and is looking to avoid a repeat of the events in Monaco last year where he competed despite not being fully fit in a failed last-ditch attempt to make the Great Britain squad for the World Championships in Beijing.

He said: “Going to Monaco I had a bit of a tight muscle and knew I should not have competed.

“I was in between a rock and a hard place.

“Picking up that tweak ended up with them not picking me, so hopefully I can avoid that scenario this year completely.”