Japan's Kitajima misses out on fifth Olympics, set to retire

Japan's Kosuke Kitajima swims in the men's 100m breaststroke semi-final during the World Swimming Championships at the Sant Jordi arena in Barcelona July 28, 2013. REUTERS/Gustau Nacarino

(Reuters) - Four-times Olympic breaststroke champion Kosuke Kitajima is set for retirement after missing out on qualifying for a fifth Olympics at the Japanese swimming trials.

The 33-year-old, who won 100 and 200 metre breaststroke gold at the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Games, could only clock a time of 2 minutes 9.96 seconds to finish fifth in the 200m and outside of the required time to make the Rio Olympics.