Commonweath Games gold medallist Smith, 19, failed to make the final in his favourite discipline – the Pommel – at the event in Lausanne, Switzerland after falling during his routine.

But despite the slip, the Great Britain team still improved two places on their last showing at the event by finishing ninth overall and Smith is still quietly confident of making the Olympic grade.

He said: “I do not really know what happened on the pommel to be honest.

“I was working through my routine and then I slipped and fell – loads of people have asked me what happened but really it is just one of those things.

“Other than that I think I did okay and having already achieved the Olympic qualfying standard I am hopeful that I will be selected but I just have to wait and see.

“I am expecting to discover some time next week if it is going to happen and of course I am tremendously excited by the prospect of representing my country at the Olympics and it would definitely be the high point of my career.”

If selected Smith would represent Great Britain in the combined events - pommel, rings, vault, parallel bars, horizontal bars and floor.

And while Smith has shown recent improvement in the bars and floor exercises, it is on the pommel where he expects to make the biggest impact in China.

He said: “I have been putting a lot of work into all areas of the various disciplines and I am pleased with the improvements I have made.

“But my best chance of making the last eight and getting into the final has to be on the pommel as it is without a doubt my best event.

“I am Commonwealth champion and was the first British guy in years to win a medal at the World Championships in Stuttgart last year so I have to be confident.

“My routine is solid and I know that if it goes well I have a great chance to get in the final and grab a medal. But just getting to the final would be amazing as no British gymnast has ever made it that far at an Olympics so for me to do it would be incredible.”

But while he hopes to travel thousands of miles to take on the world’s best gymnasts in Beijing, one of Smith’s biggest threats for a medal could lurk a lot closer to home.

He said: “I am pretty hopeful that my club mate Daniel Keatings could also be selected and if he does make it he will be a real threat as he is a great gymnast.

“He just won overall gold in the junior event at the Europeans and having him around would be a great incentive for us both to do well. But rather than a rival I would see him as an ally and hopefully if we are both selected we can help each other achieve our targets.”

Smith’s Euro Scores

29th - Floor.

25th - Pommell.

No score - Rings

No score - Vault

43rd - Parallell bars

47th - Hi bars

Daniel Keatings Euro Scores

6th - Vault

2nd - Floor

1st - Pommel

8th - Rings

2nd - Parallel bars

11th - Hi bars