Stott, who took gold alongside Tim Baillie at London 2012, and Proctor needed to win all three of their races at the Lee Valley White Water Centre in Waltham Cross this weekend to give themselves a chance of booking their place in Rio.

But London 2012 silver medallists Richard Hounslow and David Florence were in supreme form, with a time of 1 min 47.53sec for the first of their two runs standing as the fastest of the day.

It means that the duo have now confirmed their own place in the Brazilian city next summer, with Stott, who needed a new partner of Baillie opted for retirement, missing out.

"We put in a pretty solid first run, and I guess before we started that second run we provisionally knew that we had the lead but we wanted to go better," Hounslow told the Hertfordshire Mercury.

"We have a plan and we wanted to execute that plan as well as we can.

"We just came a little bit unstuck at the bottom but it was job done, so we are relieved now."

Florence added: "So much of our sport is about going to the Olympics and chasing Olympic medals, but you've got to get there.

"This is always a really tough race and it's massively pleasing to have got the job done on day one.

"I've been so desperate to go to Rio and I've thought so much about it.

"So to finally know we are going there is a huge relief and I'm looking forward to it."

Earlier in the day, Florence won the C1 competition to ensure his place at next year’s Olympics in that event as well. 

Despite finding himself down in sixth spot after the first run, Florence bounced back with a winning effort of 1:37.51 in the second outing which saw him edge Ryan Westley into second.

Westley, a bronze medallist at last month’s World Championships, posted the quickest time of 1:38.40 in the opening heat and Florence felt for his team-mate.

"There are some mixed emotions for me because I shared the podium with Ryan who was third at the World Championships," said Florence, a winner of three world titles. 

"I know if that had been me I would have been absolutely gutted and think that I deserved to be at the Olympics, and I do think Ryan deserves to be at the Olympics as well.

"Before the start of the weekend I knew that of course I wanted to put down a flyer in round one and that would be it over.

"But I also knew that it might not be the case, it might have come down to the sixth run of the weekend and I had to be ready for that."

There were also trials in the K1 men and K1 women classes, which are being used to select Britain’s senior team for the 2016 European Championships and the International Canoe Federation (ICF) World Cup Series.

Selection is based on the top three finishers in each of the four Olympic classes plus women's canoe single.

Huw Swetnam led Tom Brady and Joe Clarke across the line in the K1M, while London 2012 Olympian Lizzie Neave won the first K1W competition with Fiona Pennie and Kimberley Woods in second and third respectively.

The winners of the Olympic selection trials will be confirmed by the British Canoeing International Panel and nominated to the British Olympic Association for ratification and selection to Team GB, which will be announced on November 4.



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September 2015: Olympic champions Sir Matthew Pinsent and Etienne Stott praise venue ahead of ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships
February 2015: Stott eyeing repeat of London 2012 success at ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships