Ayaka Takahashi, who gained Japan’s first ever badminton Olympic gold along with her doubles accomplice in Rio 2016, has retired conceding she not has the “internal fireplace” to compete. Takahashi and Misaki Matsutomo scored a spectacular come-from-behind win on the 2016 Olympics, scoring 5 straight factors when down 19-16 within the remaining sport to defeat Denmark’s Christinna Pedersen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl. However she has opted to skip the prospect to defend her Olympic title on dwelling soil, citing partially the choice to postpone the Tokyo 2020 Video games by a yr due to the coronavirus.
“After successful the gold medal in Rio, I would been struggling to keep up morale,” she confessed at a web based press convention this week.
Regardless of coaching arduous with Matsutomo, she mentioned she had struggled with “data that weren’t satisfying sufficient in 2019, the suspension of tournaments, and the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics”.
“I doubt if my internal fireplace and physique will final for an additional yr,” she mentioned.
Takahashi mentioned Matsutomo and her sponsors “revered” her choice, and that she now hoped to work to advertise badminton.
Takahashi and Matsutomo, nicknamed “Takamatsu,” have been the primary non-Chinese language pair to win gold since badminton was launched to the Olympics in 1992.
Matsutomo advised reporters she was “deeply grateful for the partnership”, including she could not think about “having gotten this far” with out Takahashi.
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The coronavirus pandemic has badly hit the 2020 badminton world tour, forcing the cancellation of the distinguished Japan and China Opens subsequent month.
The Tokyo 2020 Video games at the moment are scheduled to open on July 23, 2021, although there are questions on whether or not the worldwide occasion can go forward if the pandemic has not receded by then.
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