Japanese hammer thrower Murofushi retires after missing Rio berth

[July 08, 2016]    (Reuters) - Japanese hammer thrower Koji Murofushi has announced his retirement from the sport, two weeks after he missed out on a place at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Koji Murofushi of Japan competes in the men's hammer throw qualifying round during the IAAF World Athletics Championships at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow August 10, 2013. REUTERS/Dominic Ebenbichler

Murofushi, who won gold in the 2004 Athens Games and bronze in London four years ago, came out of a two-year retirement to make his bid for selection but could not meet the qualifying mark of 77 meters while finishing 12th at the Japan national championships.

The 41-year-old is also the sports director for the 2020 Tokyo organizing committee, Kyodo news reported.

"I'm retiring from top-level competition, but will now concentrate on contributing to the Japanese sporting world," Murofushi told the Kyodo news agency.

Murofushi also finished ninth at his first Olympics in Sydney in 2000 and fifth in Beijing in 2008.

(Reporting by Ian Rodricks in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Chopra)

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