Synchronized swimmers Miya Tachibana and Miho Takeda, silver medalists in both the duet and team events at the last two Olympic Games, officially announced their retirement from the sport on Monday.
Tachibana, 29, and Takeda, 28, took the bronze in the Atlanta Olympic team competition eight years ago before teaming up for the duet in 1997 while continuing as members for the team event.
The two won the Olympic silver in both the team and duet events in Sydney in 2000 and in Athens last month.
The total medal tally of five for each of them is the most ever for female Japanese Olympic athletes.
"I think I had a great career as an active athlete," Tachibana said. "I developed year by year over the last eight years and I'm still thinking about my future. I don't really know what to do next."