James West insists he is good enough to qualify for this summer’s Olympic Games - after a strong start to a vital year.

Tonbridge AC middle-distance runner West, originally from Thanet, retained his 3,000m UK Athletics Indoor Championships title last month.

Now, the focus for the 28-year-old is firmly on getting the outdoor qualifying time for the 5,000m for Paris.

If he gets the time, he’ll then have to come in the top two or three, depending on criteria, at this summer’s outdoor British Championships to get selected.

West said: “If I miss this one, then I will be 32 at the next one.

“I think that’s still ‘okay’ - but that would probably be my last.

“I’m definitely good enough to be there and it’s a dream of any athlete.

“Making an Olympics is just a bit more special.”

West, who has a 5,000m personal-best of 13min19.98sec, knows the Olympic entry standard for the event is 13:05.00 ahead of another training camp in St Moritz, Switzerland.

He said: “I’ve had my eye on this one (2024) for a good 18 months or two years.

“It’s something that’s been on the forefront of my mind. It’s a massive goal to make an Olympics. I need to find about 15 seconds over the 5k.

“I think it’s doable - it will come down to fine margins - but I feel like I’m quite a good championship racer. A lot of people can race the time but, at the championships, they maybe don’t have that speed.

“But I do think I could compete well there. Once I’m there, I think I could have a good chance of making the Final.

“Obviously, getting the time is the No.1 priority.

“It’s a fair chunk of time. I ran 13:22.98 last year, from a previous best of 13:44.47, so I had already taken off 22 seconds.

“It comes down to a few things. The weather when you race - and the field.

“We’re looking at maybe being in Los Angeles in the middle of May.

“Those 5ks should be fast and will probably be my first proper attempt at getting the time.”

West completed a 2023 outdoor and indoor British Championships double before adding another indoor British Championship crown in Birmingham.

“I guess I had a little bit less nerves, having done it before,” he reflected.

“But it was a great feeling, backing that up, especially with the Olympics this year.

“I also got quite ill in the weeks before and wasn’t 100% sure that I was going to run indoors. To win it when I was maybe not 100%, that was a good sign.

“There was only Josh (Kerr) missing. He won at the World Indoor Championships.

“It would have been good to race him but, other than that, it was a good domestic field. It’s good to be in that sort of position where I’m able to pick up domestic titles.

“If you can control the domestic titles, I feel the next step is to make the World and Olympic teams.”

And West, coached by 2002 Commonwealth Games medallist Helen Clitheroe, is reaping the rewards of his association with running shoe giant New Balance.

“It’s been brilliant,” he said. “I did suffer with some injuries before - but we’re getting to grips with that - and I have a great coach in Helen.

“The improvements I have made in 12 months, from not having a British title to having three, I definitely owe a lot to them.”