PETER Wilson says he chose to quit competitive shooting because he could not fully commit to pursuing gold at the next Olympic Games.

London 2012 double trap champion Wilson, 28, announced his retirement yesterday, telling his followers on Twitter that he wanted to go out of his sport at the top.

As well as getting married next year, Dorchester-born Wilson is taking over the running of his family’s 220-acre farm in Dorset.

That, as well as his business interests and role as a coach to British youngster James Dedman, meant he would not be able to give Rio 2016 his full focus.

“It was more a factor of commitment and how committed I was to get to Rio,” he told Echosport.

“Going into London 2012 I was shooting six or seven days a week.

“Now I’m barely doing one day a week and it has become more of a hobby than a profession.

“I certainly would have loved to have had a crack at the next Olympics, but I don’t think I would have been able to get the best out of myself.

“I can’t think of anything worse than coming away from a competition knowing I could have done better.

“I’ve had a great time in the sport and I’m really pleased with the decision I’ve made.

“I wanted to win Olympic gold, be world number one and break the world record and I’ve been lucky enough to do all those.

“I don’t think I could have bettered winning a gold medal in London.”

He added: “My dad said he was going to retire at 65 and pass the farm on to me.

“The Olympics scuppered his plans so now is the perfect time for me to take over.

“Any big change in your life is very difficult and this was a difficult decision to make.

“That said, I am still thrilled with the decision I have made.”

Wilson represented his country for the last time when winning the Al Ain World Cup last April – since then he has been coaching Dedman and developed a shooting app.

Reacting to Wilson’s retirement, chief executive of British Shooting, Hamish McInnes, said: “Peter Wilson’s successes while representing British Shooting have been remarkable.

“His determination, dedication and attention to detail have made him a phenomenal athlete and we are proud that he represented our sport on the world stage.

“He may be stepping down from competitive shooting, but we look forward to continuing our relationship moving forward to ensure our sport continues to grow and become ever-more popular.”

Meanwhile, British Shooting’s team leader from London 2012, Phil Scanlan, said: “Peter has been a great ambassador for the sport of shooting.

“His dedication and hard work have set a great example to the next group of shooters coming through and looking to follow in his footsteps.”