CROYDON'S first Olympic medallist is retiring after more than 60 years of competition.
Former Croydon Harrier Paul Nihill, 73, won silver in the 50km walk at the 1964 Tokyo Games and his competitive career spanned both London Olympiads.
The former Davidson School pupil, who was brought up in Addiscombe, competed at three other Olympic Games – making him the first Briton to compete in four games.
Now the decorated athlete has walked his last race after achieving his goal of competing until after London 2012.
Paul said: "You know you've got to give up some time really. Age catches up with everyone and it is time to retire. It's never been a struggle, you just get slower.
"I will miss the competition and taking part but you can't go on forever, although I gave it a damn good try."
Paul, who now lives in Rochester, is married with three children but has lost count of his "six or so" grandchildren.
Paul, who also competed at the Mexico City, Munich and Montreal Olympics, said the Tokyo Games were his most memorable.
His Italian rival had to set a world record to beat him.
He said: "For obvious reasons winning the silver in 1964 was my favourite sporting memory.
"But the Italian finished ahead of me – I should have tripped him up!"
The former Lower Addiscombe Road resident, who was a few years above Gary Glitter at Davidson, still very much considers himself a part of a town which he visits weekly.
He added: "I've always been a Croydon boy. I moved here with my family in 1943.
"I left in the 1970s so some people think I'm not but a man should be able to decide where he's from and I'm definitely from Croydon."
Paul's first race was a 60-yard dash at a Woodside Junior School sports day. He went on to spend a number of years as the world number one in the 20km walk.
However, he was cut down in his peak by hepatitis in the 1970s and Paul believes he was never quite the same athlete after.
Although Paul has made numerous threats to retire before, he is adamant his last race – a slightly less demanding 5km road walk in Suffolk – was definitely his last.
He said: "I won't be coming back. People have said I've made more comebacks than Frank Sinatra – not this time."
OTHER CROYDON LINKS TO OLYMPIC GLORY INCLUDE: DOROTHY Tyler, who lives in Sanderstead, won two silver medals and competed in four Olympic Games as a high jumper between 1936 and 1956. She won her first medal at the tender age of 16 at the 1936 Berlin Olympics in front of Adolf Hitler. Donna Fraser just missed out on a medal by finishing fourth in the 400 metres at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The Croydon Harrier is from Thornton Heath. Martyn Rooney finished sixth in the 400 metres at Beijing 2008 but was knocked out in the semi-finals of last year's London games. Lawrence Okoye, now playing American football in the NFL for the San Francisco 49ers, held the nation's discus hopes in his hands last year but was last in the final. Despite reaching the discus final, Okoye finished in last placed 12th and did not even throw as far as he had in the heats.