A former Welsh international sprinter, Simons made British bobsleigh history when he won four-man World Cup gold with Lamin Deen, Toby Olubi and Andrew Matthews in Whistler in 2017.

His crew set what was then a record speed of 97 mile per hour in that race and, after initially winning silver, were upgraded to gold after disqualification of the Russian sled last year.

The 34-year-old made more than 120 appearances for Britain between November 2012 and February 2022, with half of those coming in World Cup competition.

He competed at the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi and Pyeongchang in 2014 and 2018, respectively, and was reserve athlete for a third Olympics in Beijing earlier this year.

Simons featured at seven World Championships, finishing fifth in Winterberg in 2015 and again a year later in Innsbruck .

"Ben has been one of the country’s most consistent and impressive performers over the past decade and he should be incredibly proud of not only his achievements on the ice but also the way he has carried himself throughout his time as a bobsledder," said Marc Heywood, director of operations at the British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association.

"His historic gold medal in Whistler five years ago will live long in the memory, as will the manner in which he has represented his country on the international stage and the way he has looked to inspire the next generation of talent over the past Olympic cycle in particular."

Simons added: "When I first headed down to Bath 10 years ago to push a sled for the first time, under-sized and under-qualified, I could never have imagined the incredible journey I was about to embark on.

"I have lived out my dreams as an Olympic athlete, travelling the world with my team-mates, and achieving more than I ever thought possible."