Shoma Uno Announces His Retirement from Skating, Expresses Gratitude For ‘Wonderful’ Competitive Career

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:23 JST, May 9, 2024

Men’s figure skater Shoma Uno announced on social media Thursday that he is retiring from active competition.

“Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me,” Uno said. He is scheduled to hold a press conference next Tuesday.

Uno, now 26, is from Aichi Prefecture. He secured a silver medal at the 2018 PyeongChang Games, his first appearance at the Olympics, and a bronze at the 2022 Beijing Games. He won the All Japan Championships six times and the World Championships in 2022 and 2023.

Uno aimed to become the first Japanese male skater to win three consecutive World Championships at this year’s competition in March in Montreal, Canada. He achieved the highest score this season (107.72 points) in the short program, but faltered in the free skate and ultimately finished fourth.

“I have made the decision to retire from active competition,” Uno said on social media. “I’m very grateful that I could continue for 21 years and have a wonderful competitive career.”