DANNY Talbot admitted it was “all or nothing’’ as he prepared for one last shot at a London 2012 place in Finland today.

The Trowbridge sprinter, 21, was due to line up for the heats and semi finals of the 200m at the European Championships in Helsinki, with his route to possible Team GB selection for next month’s Olympics laid out clearly.

The mission for the Trowbridge Tornado was quite simple.

He had to run inside the UK Athletics Olympic A standard of 20.55secs and also beat GB teammate Chris Clarke, who finished ahead of him in the Olympic trials in Bimringham on Sunday.

The pair finished third and fourth respectively behind James Ellington and Christian Malcolm.

“I have to hit the heats very hard and hopefully that will get me a fast time and into the semi finals,” said Talbot.

“It is all or nothing now.”

He added: “To be considered for the third discretionary place you need to have run the A standard twice between May 2011 and next weekend.

“I have done it once last season so if I can do it again in Helsinki, and also beat Chris Clarke, then hopefully I will have done enough to make the team for London.”

It promised to be an intriguing shoot-out as Talbot admitted the pair are evenly matched.

Clarke’s personal best of 20.65secs, which he ran in America in April, is just one one-hundredth quicker of Talbot’s season’s best though the Wiltshire ace has a quicker personal best from 2011.

Talbot clocked his season's best (20.66) to win his morning heat at last weekend’s trials, but failed to match that in the final, recording 20.71, still some way outside the Olympic A qualifying standard.

“That was winable I think,’’ he said.

“After the heats I ran so comfortably and thought I could take another couple of tenths off but to actually get slower in the final, I’m gutted.’’

His coach Dan Cossins, who lives in Corsham said: “I am sure Danny can run faster than he did at the weekend and I know there is a big performance in him. He ran a great heat at the trials beating Christian Malcolm but then didn’t execute his final very well at all and left himself far too much to do coming off the bend.”

At least Talbot has shrugged off the hamstring problems that curtailed his training and racing at the start of the season and the extra races will be to his advantage as he regains his sharpness.

But he knows that there will be no more chances after the Europeans and the next 48 hours will determine whether he gets a prized place on the team bus for London.

He will also run for Britain in the 4x100m relay, hoping to earn a place in that squad for London 2012.

He added: “I’ve had a few niggles this season and it was only my third 200m race of the year in Birmingham.

“It’s alright but I came here to win and I didn’t even get a medal.

“Times don’t really matter at championships, no one will remember if you come fourth with a personal best, it’s all about winning.’’ Broughton Gifford hurdles coach Malcolm Arnold, recently honoured by the Queen, saw his Bath-based charges Andrew Pozzi, Lawrence Clarke and Eilidh Child practically guarantee their berths on Team GB.

Pozzi and Clarke claimed first and second place finishes in the 110m hurdles while Child took silver in the women’s 400m hurdles event.