JAPANESE swimming king Kosuke Kitajima formally announced his retirement from competition yesterday, content with his legacy as Japan’s greatest-ever swimmer.

    Arguably the greatest breaststroker of all-time, the 33-year-old insisted there would be no flip-flopping on his decision, which was made 48 hours earlier after failing to qualify for his fifth Olympics in Rio this summer.

    “To be honest I’m sad to be retiring,” said Kitajima, who scooped double gold in the men’s 100 and 200 meters breaststroke at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics.

    “But I knew sooner or later the day was coming. There will probably be a hole in my heart where swimming once was, but I’ve got no regrets,” he said.

    Kitajima, a three-time world champion who smashed several world records during his illustrious career, had flirted with retirement after his stunning performance at Beijing in 2008 when he retained his Olympic titles, an unprecedented achievement in his event.

    But after moving to California, the Tokyo native was coaxed back into the pool and returned to claim a silver medal in the 4x100m relay at the London Olympics four years ago.

    Kitajima shot to global fame at the 2004 Athens Games, when he twice beat fierce rival Brendan Hansen and memorably celebrated by pointing at the American and whooping: “I kicked his butt!”(SD-Agencies)