NATHAN Douglas admits he could start refocusing on next year in the wake of the decision to delay the Olympics.

After coming under increasing pressure from national associations amid the coronavirus pandemic, the organisers of Tokyo 2020 have agreed to a postponement.

The Games – which had been due to get under way on July 24 – will not now take place in 2020, but will happen no later than the summer of 2021.

Douglas expects the European Championships, due to be held a month later in Paris, to follow suit.

If that happened it would leave athletics without a major competition this summer.

The Oxford City triple jumper had been building his season around attempting to qualify for his third Olympics.

But now he is considering putting everything on hold with the potential his next competition may well be next year.

He said: “I think they’ve made the right decision.

“We will all now be waiting to see about the European Championships, which are a month later but I’m anticipating they will cancel it.

“Once they shut that down the landscape really does change and you start thinking about next year.

“It will be strange because I can’t remember the last time I had a summer without a focus. Even when you’re injured you have something to aim for.

“None of us know what’s going to happen.”

The former European silver medallist admitted it had been a testing few days.

He said: “When you have to find a park to train in it’s weird.

“It’s not the same high quality you are used to.

“Mentally it’s tough also, because it’s up in the air.

“Your goals give you your drive, so when there’s doubt your motivation is also a bit unsure.

“Last weekend I was feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all, like many people.

“I just didn’t know where I was or what I was doing.”

Douglas, who competed at Athens in 2004 and then Beijing four years later, will be 38 by the time a rearranged Tokyo Olympics starts.

But he does not believe the delay will harm his prospects.

“I don’t think it changes the chances,” he said.

“I’m taking my career year-by-year.

“When you have been trying so hard for 2020 if it’s postponed by a year it would be a shame to not go for it in 2021.”

Elsewhere, yesterday it was confirmed golf clubs in England would be closed with immediate effect due to tightening restrictions on the movement of people.