YOU make sure Team GB is represented in your sport at the Olympics for the first time in 12 years. There is one spot available. You’re a shoo-in, right?

Wrong. Despite a fourth-placed finish in April’s male trampoline test in Rio de Janeiro, Bournemouth’s Nathan Bailey knew he would need his A game to head back for the big one.

After nine years of competing for his country at ages where many of us discovered pleasures not typically enjoyed by athletes, the 22-year-old still had to accept his dream could be taken away by one of his colleagues.

That could have created consternation, pressure, even anger. But not for Bailey.

“The trial process was long but I had to focus on my goal, which was just to post the best possible results,” he said.

“It was about consistent, clean routines. I managed that and it was nice to go into the Olympic selection feeling confident I had done all I could.

“With our selection policy as it was, I knew it from the start that it would be the best person at the time so I had to be on my game throughout the year.

“It was a good thing. It gave me that determination to keep on pushing to deliver the results I have. I had a very strong year and been ranked number one throughout. I have moved from one stage to another with confidence.

“There have been no really bad competitions, I have managed to stay consistent.”

The race continued in the European Championship, where Bailey managed bronze before winning the British crown ahead of team-mate and biggest rival Luke Strong.

“I have trained with Luke for the past year. We went to the World Cup, World Championship and European Championship so there was that rivalry on the competition floor but we also helped each other.

“The British Championship was the final Olympic trial. It is always a pinnacle competition and being ranked number one meant a lot.

“Luke got second and my other team-mate Lewis Bartlett was third so to go out on a high was really important.”

After having his imagination captured from a very early age, Bailey has made the road to Rio his life’s work but the journey has not always been smooth.

“Watching the Olympics on TV when I was very small, I had a sense of inspiration and how amazing it would be,” he said. “When I was six, moving from artistic gymnastics into trampolining, it was always the dream.

“I competed internationally from the age of 11 and found out about this world and being part of the team. It took off from there and I have been a part of Team GB squads since I was 13.

“Every athlete or gymnast has doubts in their career. I have been training for 16 years and it has been a bumpy road. When I was 14, I broke both of my arms and shattered my elbow but I bounced back with a nice result six months later.

“I just knew I had to start building again and it went well until I picked up a serious back injury which initially put me out of the Olympic programme.

“Again, I have come back stronger and set myself up for this year so I am really pleased.”

Bailey is currently at the National Training Centre, Lilleshall and heads out to Portugal a week today to ramp up preparations.

In Brazil, the preliminary round sees competitors complete two set routines, one focused on execution and the other on difficulty.

The final will then be contested by the eight athletes with the best combined scores and is decided by one routine judged on difficulty. But Bailey is taking one step at a time.

“Trampolining is one of the sports where anything can happen so I am just going out to concentrate on putting down strong routines,” he said.

“My focus is purely on my performances and after that, what will be will be. It would be amazing to make the final but achieving my goals is all about performing to my capabilities.”