Speedskater Miho Takagi, Japan’s most decorated Winter Olympian, announced her retirement in an Instagram post March 4.
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Takagi wrote in Japanese that the world championships in The Netherlands, which begin March 5, will be the last event of her career.
“I’m really happy to skate the World All Around in Thialf,” read the post, which was translated from Japanese by Nippon.com. “It is one of the big dreams to skate the tournament there. And it will be my last competition. I will miss you all. But also it’s amazing to skate the last race in this situation. I’d like to say ‘thank you’ and ‘good bye’ to everyone. But firstly I will enjoy every moment and fight hard until (I am) across finish line.”
Takagi, 31, claimed the bronze medal in the women’s 1,000 meters, 500 meters, and team pursuit, but finished sixth in the 1,500 meter skate.
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Takagi made her Olympic debut as a 15-year-old at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. She would go on to collect 10 medals over her Olympic career, more than any Japanese-born Winter Olympian.
Takagi was unable to qualify for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. At the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, she won three medals, including a gold medal for Japan in the team event.
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Japan collected 24 medals in all at the Milan-Cortina Games, the most in its history at a single Winter Olympics. Only Norway (41), the United States (33), Italy (30) and Germany (26) won more medals in Italy than Japan.
Takagi’s contribution to that number was relatively small, but she retires with a large place in her country’s Olympic history. Now, she will look to go out on top of the speedskating world in Heerenveen.
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