NOVUNA UK ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS SEASON OPENER FOR FINCHAM-DUKES IN INJURY RETURN

Five long months have passed since Jacob Fincham-Dukes last stood on a long-jump competition runway but having now returned from serious injury, the Olympic finalist is set to open his season at the Novuna UK Athletics Championships in Birmingham (August 2-3) 

The 28-year-old Leeds City AC athlete endured an agonising torn adductor muscle en-route to claiming the UK Championship indoor title back in February, forcing him to miss the European and World indoor Athletics Championships whilst in the prime of his career:

“I opened up (the indoor season) with 8.18m which is number two all-time in the UK,” Fincham-Dukes recalled.

“It was just unfortunate that I tore my adductor from the bone at nationals – I really felt I would’ve contended for a medal at European and World indoors.”

Guided by Austin Brobst in Texas, he thrived in 2024 with an impressive 8.20m lifetime best in April followed by a fourth-place finish at the European Championships in Rome and a fine fifth in the Paris Olympics.

“The 2024 season was a stand out success for me – fourth in Rome and fifth in Paris really showed people what I was capable of and that I deserved to be considered one of the best in the world. I stayed healthy and my hard work paid off,” explained Fincham-Dukes.

Working full-time in health and safety compliance, he revealed the difficulty of juggling the demands of training with employment:

“Training has been good overall, it’s difficult to manage everything with working full time – some days I’m exhausted by the time I get home as Monday to Friday are 13-15 hour days from leaving my door to walking back in.”

A two-time UK outdoor champion, adding a third consecutive title to his resume is important to Fincham-Dukes especially in his return to the sport. On his season debut in Birmingham’s renovated Alexander Stadium, he said:

“With coming back from injury, I’ll open up at the British championships, get a meet in before the World’s then compete there, so it’ll be a very short outdoor campaign for me.

“As always, I want to win the British championships – I’ll be using the event as a confidence builder and all in all, the main aim is to come away healthy. I’m looking forward to the new stadium, I’m yet to compete there but it’s always something to look forward to when there’s an upgrade.”

With qualification for September’s World Championships in Tokyo at the forefront of his mind, another top-eight major championship placing remains the goal:

“My aim for Tokyo is to firstly make the final – after that, just like Paris, anything can happen,” explained Fincham-Dukes.

“On the right day, anyone can medal so why not me? Based off my training – as long as I’m healthy, I know I can be in contention.”

And with Birmingham hosting the European Athletics outdoor Championships next summer, Fincham-Dukes is relishing the opportunity to have a major event on home soil to whet his competitive appetite:

“The European’s in Birmingham should be something special – it’s the first time Britain has held it so that’ll be a big focus-meet going into 2026,” he revealed.

“I always feel the British crowd is something special when it comes to home championships and big meets and I know Euros will be the same!”

The Novuna UK Athletics Championships heads to the Alexander Stadium, Birmingham between 2-3 August as the nation’s best athletes battle for national titles and spots on the team for this year’s World Athletics Championships. Expect world-class performances, intense rivalries, and unforgettable moments. Tickets are on sale now from £20 adults / £10 under-16s. Don’t miss it!

Nicola Sutton for British Athletics