KAYAK king Ed McKeever has already dipped his toe into the waters of Rio 2016 as he bids to make another splash at the Olympics this summer.

Bradford on Avon’s McKeever proved he is the fastest man with a paddle when he powered to the K1 200m gold medal in London four years ago.

In an effort to stay ahead of the chasing pack, the 32-year-old has now got some early practice out in Brazil as he attempts to keep hold of his crown.

McKeever has been out to test the waters in Brazil as part of a training camp in Belo Horizonte and says there are more than just ripples on the water that the Games are just around the corner.

“I was just out there getting used to everything, like the journey over and the climate, and getting some good training done too,” said McKeever.

“I’m feeling fit and strong, which is all you can ask for at this time of year. Now it’s just about gradually building towards the summer because it’s a big year.

“It was a very good trip and I’m going out on another training camp again soon but right now I’ve come back to the UK where there’s wind and rain and that’s taken some getting used to.

“Although we weren’t actually in Rio you can still get a sense that the Olympics are coming.

“It’s much like it was in the build-up to London. Everyone you talk to is aware of it and wants to hear about it if they know you are competing, they are just looking for that little connection with the Olympics.’’ “Everyone seems pretty excited about it so I’m sure it’s going to be fantastic.”

The first port of call for McKeever is to make sure of his place at the Games as there are no free passes, even after his 2012 heroics at Eton Dorney.

He failed in his attempts to secure early qualification for Rio after a disappointing performance at last year’s Canoe Sprint World Championships in Milan and now has to tackle a European qualifying event in Duisberg, Germany, in May.

“I’m feeling confident going there. I know it’s well within my capabilities to qualify, so I’m not too concerned about it at this stage,” he added.

“There is an element of frustration having not qualified already but it’s the same for everyone, you know the rules going into it.

“You have to qualify by right and everyone wants to be there and there’s some tough competition out there.”