foxsports
Former Japanese Olympic gold medalist Hiroyuki Shimizu has retired from speed skating.
The 36-year-old Shimizu, who won the 500-meter gold at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, decided to retire after failing to make Japan's team for the Vancouver Games.
``I had a great career in the sport and would now like to help young skaters realize their dreams,'' Shimizu said Saturday at a retirement ceremony.
Shimizu also won bronze in the 1,000 in Nagano and silver in the 500 at Salt Lake City in 2002. He has broken the 500 world record four times and won 34 races in the 500 on the World Cup circuit, third on the all-time list.
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Keiichiro Nagashima and Joji Kato won the men's 500 silver and bronze medals, respectively, in Vancouver.
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