Swimmer Kosuke Kitajima, the 100- and 200-meter men's breaststroke gold medalist in the 2004 Athens Games and 2008 Beijing Games, will move to the United States to study English, according to a published report.
"I made the decision to move to the U.S. last year, and I am looking forward to finding a new opportunity for me," Kitajima was quoted as saying in a recent interview with Swimming World magazine. 'It will not be about focusing on swimming. I don't have a coach, and I am not planning to be involved in a local team right now."
Though he has said retirement is an option after the Beijing Olympics, the Tokyo native hasn't completely ruled out the prospects of returning to elite competition in the future.
"I am not prepared, so I am not planning to race now," Kitajima said. "But since I have taken so much time off, I am feeling more and more like a comeback."