Japan's Olympic doubles champion Takahashi announces retirement

FILE PHOTO: Badminton - All England Open Badminton Championships - Arena Birmingham, Birmingham, Britain - March 14, 2020. Japan's Ayaka Takahashi in action during her women's doubles semi final match with Misaki Matsutomo against Japan's Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota. Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers

(Reuters) - Japan's Olympic badminton champion Ayaka Takahashi will not defend her doubles crown with Misaki Matsutomo at next year's Tokyo Games after announcing she will retire at the end of the month.

Takahashi and Matsutomo defeated Denmark's Christinna Pedersen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl in the Rio Olympics in 2016 to claim the women's doubles gold medal and secure their nation's first ever badminton title.