TRAMPOLINIST Kat Driscoll made the ideal start to Olympic year as she claimed a bronze medal in the opening World Cup event in Baku.

Driscoll, who is a former world champion in the team and synchro categories, helped secure two automatic places for Team GB in Rio with her performances at last year’s World Championships, and is all but certain to claim one of the spots with World Cup events forming part of British Gymnastics’ selection criteria.

The 29-year-old, who lives in West Rainton and is a member of the Apollo Trampoline Club in Washington, made her Olympic debut in London and narrowly failed to claim a place in the final.

She is determined to improve on that performance in Rio, and last weekend’s World Cup medal suggests she is performing well enough to be considered a strong contender for an Olympic podium place this summer.

“The first aim for this year is to make the Olympic team,” said Driscoll. “There are five of us available for selection, and the final decision will be made in July. The scores from the World Championships, World Cups, European Championships and British Championships will all be considered, along with internal competitions, so it’s going to be important to be right at the top of your game all season.

“Hopefully, I’ll be part of that team, and if that’s the case, then I want to be going to Rio knowing I’m performing well enough to be competitive. London was fantastic, and because it was a home Games, it was a massive thing just to be part of that.

“Now, I’m at a stage of my career where I know I’m capable of going to the Games and making the final. London was a case of hoping I would make the final – now, I know what I can do and I have to be aiming for the final.”

Last weekend’s World Cup highlighted the strength of the British squad, with Driscoll’s team-mate, Pamela Clark, also qualifying for the final and finishing in fifth position.

The pair are the favourites for Olympic selection, and are part of a high-performance team that are spending most weeks in Lilleshall at British Gymnastics’ national centre.

“The training has been going really well, and it’s been nice for all of us to be down there working together,” said Driscoll. “It helps drive you on, and we’re doing a lot of competition routines as part of our training schedule to make sure we’re sharp.

“If you’re training well, you have a pretty good idea of where you’re at, but it’s always nice to go to a competition and test yourself properly.

“The first World Cup of the season is always a bit of a step into the unknown, so it was good to come away knowing we’re competitive and right up there with everyone else. It’s a good base line to see where you’re at, and although we’ve still got a lot of work to do, it’s always reassuring to know that everything you’re doing in training is paying off.”

Driscoll will return to action in the European Championships in Spain in three weeks’ time, before subsequent World Cup events take her to China and Italy. The British Championships follow at the start of the summer, with the Olympic team due to be finalised in mid-July.

“It’s a busy schedule, but that’s how I like it,” she added. “Some people would rather have long training breaks between competitions, but I’d rather be competing because I think that brings out the best in me.

“The routine I’d look to do in the Olympics is pretty much finalised, although there’s one move I could add if I wanted to increase the level of difficulty. That’s something I’ll probably play around with in the next few months.

“It’s about staying competitive, and hopefully challenging for more medals at things like the Europeans, but also knowing that the most important time to peak is August and Rio.”

Unlike Britain’s male trampolinists, who need to do well at the pre-Olympic test event in order to secure a place at Rio, Driscoll will not be travelling to Brazil prior to the start of the Games.

She has attended a briefing meeting with the rest of the British gymnastics team – friends and family were invited to an additional get-together – and while the effects of the Zika virus, which has led to severe birth defects in babies born in Brazil in the last year, were discussed, Driscoll is happy to be led by the medical guidance provided by the BOA.

“It was discussed, but I don’t think it’s something you can be too worried about,” she said. “The medical experts know a lot more than I do, and if they say we’re safe to compete, that’s fine for me.”