Rie Kaneto, the Rio Olympic 200m breaststroke champion, has retired, according to Japanese media.
Kaneto, 29, will reportedly announce the news formally at a March 16 press conference, forgoing trying to make the Japanese team for the Tokyo Games in two years.
Kaneto entered Rio with the fastest time in the world in 2016 in the 200m breast.
She delivered in the final, overtaking Australian Taylor McKeown after 100 meters and taking gold over Russian Yulia Efimova by 1.67 seconds to become the oldest Olympic breaststroke champion in 60 years.
Kaneto skipped the 2017 Japanese Championships and 2017 World Championships. Efimova won the 2017 World title, with Americans Bethany Galat and Lilly King taking second and fourth.
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