The 23-year-old arrived at an event on home soil in Barcelona on Sunday (July 10) - the last competition to offer the chance to earn a spot at next month’s Games - without his favoured pole having competed in the Dutch city the previous day.

Salas was given a replacement by his friend but was unable to find his usual rhythm as he posted a best attempt of 5.50 metres, 10 centimeters below required standard set by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

The Spaniard, fourth at the 2012 IAAF World Junior Championships in Barcelona, claimed the reason for his inability to reach the qualification mark was down to the fact that he was not using equipment he was familiar with.

“Vueling sent me the pole the day after,” Salas said.

“It is bad luck, I didn’t get the chance to try one last time.

“I was able to use a friend’s poles, but it isn’t the same because it is very personal and I didn’t feel comfortable."

Salas added: “It’s a shame because I was feeling really good and confident beforehand.

“Maybe I will have the right to some compensation for the late arrival of luggage, but I lost my last chance to go to the Olympic Games and that is something you cannot compensate for.”

The news marks the latest example of an athlete suffering a blow in their sporting career as a result of difficulties with an airline.

European modern pentathlon champion Arthur Lanigan O'Keeffe's preparations for Rio 2016 suffered a setback after Aer Lingus ejected him from a flight for having fencing equipment in March.

Ahead of London 2012, Australian airline Qantas accidentally moved the country's sails to their cargo centre, meaning they arrived in Britain without them.

Back in 2006, New Zealand Paralympian Kate Horan’s bid for a world title came to a bizarre end when her prosthetic leg was misplaced at Heathrow Airport.