3-time Olympic champion Kohei Uchimura of Japan retiring

Three-time Olympic gold medal gymnast Kohei Uchimura of Japan — the man they call “King Kohei”— is retiring, his management company said Tuesday.

The 33-year-old won gold in 2012 and 2016 as the best all-around men's gymnast, and also won a team gold in 2016. He also won four Olympic silver medals, and won gold 10 times at world championships.

The 2020 Olympics, delayed a year by the pandemic, were a disappointment at home in Tokyo.

Uchimura fell in qualifying in his signature high-bar event and failed to advance to the finals.

His first Olympics was in Beijing in 2008, and for more than a decade he established a unmatched standard of excellence in men's gymnastics with a level of grace, precision, and humility.

IMAGE: AP