Oxfordshire triathlete Graham Kiff is still determined to reach the 2012 Olympics, despite having to withdraw from the British Triathlon Disabled Development Squad.

Kiff, 40, from Witney, who is registered blind, was hoping to start his build-up to the London Games, but has decided to take a back seat for personal reasons.

“I contacted the BTF (British Triathlon Federation) about a month ago about it and they have said they will keep my place open,’ said Kiff, who last June was crowned Blind World Triathlete Champion in Vancouver.

“I told them a month ago I was withdrawing because I was concerned that I would deprive someone else of a place.

“So I’m not joining up with them this year. It’s a bit of a blow, but I can’t devote the time I need.

“I could have joined up with the development squad and just plodded along, but I didn’t want to turn up for the squad and not be properly prepared.

A former RAF transport mechanic, who lives at The Springs, left the service in 1999.

But after working at Heathrow Airport and building MRI scanners for Siemens, he was registered blind with retinitis pigmentosa.

He only started competing in triathlons in 2007.

That was when he noticed an article in the magazine from St Dunstans, a charity for blind ex-servicemen and women, asking for people to take part in the London triathlon.

“Originally, I was told we were doing a sprint distance of a 750m swim, 20km bike then a 5km run.

“But the next time I spoke to the gym staff I was shocked to hear that it had been changed to the full Olympic distance of 1,500m swim, 40km bike and then a 10km run.

“Although to me at the time this seemed very challenging as I had never swam in a race.

“ The first time I went to train I could only manage 50m front crawl and only a few minutes in the treadmill before gasping for my ventolin inhaler.”

He set off with the sole intention of finishing the London Triathlon and crossed the line in 2hrs 56 mins.

Just a month later, competing for Great Britian he finished fifth in the world championships in Hamburg.

In 2008, he was crowned Oxfordshire Disabled Athlete of the Year.

Kiff, a member of Oxford Tri Club, may be taking a break, but that has not ended his ambition of competing for Great Britain in the London games.

“My Olympic dream is still there. With 12 months off I could easily back into it.

“Although I’m not in the development squad, I will be able to get back in there, if over the next winter, things get a bit more stable in my personal life.”