ED McKeever will regroup ahead of his final chance to earn the right to defend his Olympic title after a disappointing result at the Olympic selection trials in Nottingham today.

The 2012 K1 200m champion, from Bradford on Avon, was beaten into second place by Liam Heath, who later won the final event of the session, the K2 200m with Jon Schofield, who himself was third behind McKeever in the single race.

With Heath's Olympic berth already secured in the K2, courtesy of having finished fifth in K2 200m at last year’s World Championships in Milan, McKeever will still go to the European Continental Qualification event in Duisburg next month (May 19-20) to try and secure one of the two remaining Olympic quota places in the K1 200m.

McKeever was disappointed that his winter training programme had yet to pay dividends, saying: “It wasn’t my best race today. I will go away and talk to my coach, Alex and see where we go from here and get ready for Duisburg.”

Heath added: "It was a great race, I tied up towards the end, so there is a little bit more work to do but I am quite focused on the K2 which is my priority, but I am enjoying the K1 and seeing what I am capable of.

"I can’t go to second round qualification and Ed’s up for that. Doubling up is a consideration, but we will see how training is going and how I’m feeling in both boats and weigh up the options closer to the time. This year in Rio the K2 is finished before the K1 starts so we will have to see.''

British Canoeing will confirm the team to compete at the second round European Continental Olympic Qualification event in Duisburg later this week, with athletes also being selected to compete in the ICF World Cups 1 (Duisburg) and 2 (Racice).

The Great Britain Olympic canoeing team is expected to be announced on Tuesday, June 14.