Harrow canoeist Richard Hounslow missed out on a place in the final of the single kayak at the Olympics.

The 30-year-old, who is now based in Loughton, came 11th in the heats but he was unable to make his way through from the slalom semi-final. 

He recorded a time of 104.30 seconds, which placed him in 12th and outside the top ten qualifying places.

Hounslow could only wait at the bottom, looking anxiously at the giant screen, as successive paddlers went quicker, leaving him to slip agonisingly down the leaderboard.

Hounslow will now target the C2 doubles event with David Florence which takes place tomorrow.

The competitor, who was ranked 43 in the world coming into the event, knew he was out once he looked up at the leaderboard at the end of his run.

"It's a class field out there," he said. "I was surprised so many people got 50 second penalties anyway.

"Obviously a part of you hopes that other people have messed up but I knew deep down that it wouldn't happen and I was just watching the sport that I love and the sport that I enjoy.

"I paddled very well at the British Olympic trials to actually make the Olympics and unfortunately I have not found that form that I had back then. It is frustrating because you know it is there. It doesn't just disappear."

He added: "I am obviously gutted. I am disappointed that I couldn't put in a performance that I and the home crowd could be proud of.

"There is always pressure and unfortunately that's the nature of the sport, it's a very technical sport. The only sport that comes near it is probably gymnastics and the only way gymnastics would come near it would be if the apparatus was moving when they were doing it.

"It's hard out there and you have to focus all the time.

"When you were on the start line the noise was just incredible and you try and work off it, you try and feed from it.

"It's difficult to say without going back and looking at the performance but at the end of the day it's my job and I have got to deal with the pressure and today I didn't.

"I was attacking all the way, I thought it was a half-decent run and I had done enough. There were a few time errors but I didn't actually realise that they were as big as they actually were. At the end of the day, I didn't do enough.

"It was tough out there. The crowd was loud and you have to deal with the pressure and unfortunately today I didn't.

"I have just got to take full responsibility for it really. I didn't perform today. I haven't really performed to the best of my ability, to what I can perform, this whole competition."

Hounslow was now hoping he would be able to pick himself up and progress through to the finals of the C2 on Thursday with Florence.

"It's hard but I have to pull myself back together again," he said.

"I have the C2 tomorrow. Hopefully we can put in a good semi final and get to the final. If we make the final, there are only six in there and three medals so it is all to play for tomorrow."