Japan’s Daisuke Takahashi, who became Asia’s first world figure skating champion in 2010, announced his retirement from the sport on Monday along with his ice dancing partner Kana Muramoto.

Kana Muramoto and Daisuke TakahashiPhoto: Naoki Nishimura / AFLO / Profimedia

Daisuke Takahashi and his partner Kana Muramoto announced the end of the sports competition

Takahashi, 37, won the world title in Turin in 2010 over Canada’s Patrick Chan and France’s Brian Joubert, a month after becoming the first Japanese figure skater to win an Olympic medal, bronze at the Vancouver Games.

After his first sports career in 2014, he returned four years later before heading to ice dance in 2020 with Kana Muramoto as his partner, News.ro reports.

The couple, nicknamed “Kanaday”, posted a video on Instagram announcing that “it’s time to call it quits.”

Takahashi, who competed in three Olympic Games, also won two silver medals at the World Championships in 2012 and 2007.