The 2012 Olympic bronze medalist in the 100 backstroke Aya Terakawa has announced her retirement, according to the Japan Times.
Terakawa, 29, has a new conference scheduled for Wednesday, where she is expected to make the announcement.
Terakawa is a two-time Olympian, making the final in the 200 back in 2004, and then taking bronze in the 100 backstroke in 2012. She developed a penchant for being very fast all-year long, and was often at the top of the world charts.
In 2012, she gave up the 200 back to focus on the sprint races, despite being ranked near the top of the world in the event, but the decision paid off with her first Olympic medal. She is the current Japanese National Record holder in both the 50 back (27.53) and the 100 back (58.83), the latter of which is also an Asian Record.
Her big send-off, then, will be this past summer’s World Championship meet, where she took bronze in the 50 in 27.53, which is the National Record, as well as in the 100 back in 59.23, which is not the Natioanl Record.
Best of luck to her in the next phase of her life! She was consistently in the big girl finals for so many years running.