Japanese two-time world figure skating champion Shoma Uno announced his retirement on Thursday at the age of 26, saying his years on the ice had been “amazing”.
Uno finished fourth at the world championships in March in Montreal, where he attempted to win his third consecutive title.
“I have made the decision to retire,” Uno wrote in Japanese on his Instagram account.
“After being introduced to skating at the age of five, I was able to continue for 21 years,” he said.
“I’m grateful that I had a great time competing.”
Uno will explain its decision during a press conference on May 14.
Uno could not match the dominance of his undefeated 2022-2023 season, with second-place finishes in Grand Prix events in China and Japan.
He also finished behind 19-year-old American Ilia Malinin, the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in the competition, at the Grand Prix Final.
Uno won the silver medal in the men’s singles at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in 2018. He won bronze in both the men’s singles and the team event at the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing.
