by Andrew Gidley

Windsurfer Elliot Carney heads off to Brazil this weekend ready to begin his quest for Olympic selection at Rio 2016.

The 23-year-old from Hythe flies off early on Sunday morning, after deciding to put his building apprenticeship with Ashford company Epps Construction on hold, in order to revive his long held dream of winning a place in the Great Britain squad which looked over earlier this year.

The International Sailing Federation decided to replace the sport with kiteboarding in May, only to do an about-turn earlier this month, by which time Elliott was two months into his studies at Canterbury College.

Now he is ready to swop chilly Kent for South America for a two-week training trip, to prepare for the first World Cup event in Miami at the end of January, with the world championships, also in Brazil in March.

The British No.2 said: "It was devastating and horrible to think my chance of competing at an Olympics had gone for ever. Nobody knows why they changed their mind. It was a shock when the news came through.

"My boss Richard Epps has been great. I have had to get things back on track quickly. I can’t wait to get started again."

Carney travels to Brazil with training partner and London 2012 silver medallist Nick Dempsey and coach Barry Edginton, who has been with him for the last three years. Meanwhile, Elliot’s sister Claudia, 21, training partner to Bryony Shaw, seventh in the women’s event in London, also plans to be in Brazil early in the new year.