A Team GB athlete will soon return to his full-time job just days after securing fifth place in the long jump finals at the Paris Olympics.
Jacob Fincham-Dukes, a 27-year-old British long-jumper based in Texas, delivered an impressive performance during the weekend’s qualifiers to secure his spot in the final at Stade de France on Tuesday evening.
He then achieved a remarkable jump of 8.14 meters, just six centimeters shy of his personal best, earning fifth place in the event. Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou made history by becoming the first athlete to win back-to-back long jump events in the 21st century.
Despite his success in Paris, Fincham-Dukes admitted that other concerns had been on his mind during his time in the French capital.
‘I really hope I’ve done myself justice because I work full-time, and I’m back at work on Friday,’ Fincham-Dukes told the BBC.
‘So I’m carrying a lot of extra stress that these guys don’t have to deal with.
‘I’ve carried myself tremendously well this year.
Fourth at Europeans, fifth at the Olympics.
‘I wasn’t supposed to finish fifth on ranking there, so I think I’ve done myself proud.’
Away from the track, Fincham-Dukes works in health and safety compliance at ISN and shared insights into his demanding schedule in an interview with his employers.
He explained that he balances work with his intense training routine.
‘I train 7-8 times a week,’ Fincham-Dukes shared.
‘My day starts at 5 am with a gym session, followed by work, and then another workout. My weekly routine includes weight training before work and practice sessions afterward, with a recovery stretching session on Wednesdays.
‘The day before a competition, I do a quick warm-up to mentally and physically prepare, visualizing my performance and setting goals.’
Before the Games, Fincham-Dukes stated that his ‘main goal’ was to make the final and emphasized that representing Team GB was ‘immensely important.’
‘Representing my country on such a global stage is a rare and special opportunity,’ Fincham-Dukes added. ‘The pinnacle of the sport.’
Team GB experienced a mixed outcome on Tuesday night in athletics events.
Josh Kerr narrowly missed out on gold in the men’s 1,500m final, losing to the under-the-radar winner Cole Hocker of the USA.
Daryll Neita and Dina Asher-Smith both fell short of medaling in the 200m final, finishing close to third place but ultimately empty-handed against a dominant performance by gold medallist Gabrielle Thomas, second-placed Julien Alfred, and bronze medalist Brittany Brown, Thomas’ US compatriot.
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