Olympic medalist Kenzo Shirai, who won gold in the men's gymnastic team event at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, announced his retirement on Wednesday.
Shirai, who also won the men's floor exercise three times at the world championships, said he now feels it is a challenge to train younger gymnasts rather than continuing to compete.
"I have no regrets. I've had a happy life as a gymnast," Shirai said at a press conference in Yokohama.
The 24-year-old won the men's floor at the 2013 world championships at the age of 17 to become the youngest gold medalist in the history of Japanese gymnastics, and grabbed gold in the vault and floor at the 2017 world championships.
Nicknamed the "Twist Prince" for his outstanding twisting ability, a total of six new techniques named "Shirai" have been successfully introduced at major international competitions and certified by the International Gymnastics Federation.
Shirai has failed to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics due to a leg injury and other factors, and said he will teach at his alma mater, Nippon Sport Science University.
"I will teach [students] what I've experienced," he said.
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