DARTFORD’S 2012 Paralympic judo bronze medallist Ben Quilter has quit the sport.

Quilter made the headlines during London 2012 as he battled to win a bronze, despite snapping the cruciate ligament and rupturing the medial ligaments in his knee just seven weeks before the games.

The 32-year-old underwent successful surgery to repair the damage immediately after the Games, but believes the time is right now to retire.

Quilter said: “My circumstances have changed a lot since the Games.

“To get myself back to my best and compete at the top level for Rio 2016 would need total commitment in time and effort.

“I now have a family and with the opportunity with GLL, combined with the relocation of the Visually Impaired judo programme to the Centre of Excellence in Walsall, I felt the time was right for me to retire.”

Quilter, who won gold at both the 2010 world championships and 2011 world games, now has his sights set on new challenges.

He will be aiming to run the 2014 Brighton marathon and London marathon on consecutive weekends to raise money for two charities that supported him in his journey as a Paralympic athlete.

The Dartford man will remain heavily involved with disability sport, having been recently elected to the Paralympics GB athletes’ commission.

He will also take a new position with leisure operator Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) as disability sport officer.

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