Photo/Illutration Kenzo Shirai waves after his floor exercise performance in the men’s finals at the All Japan Artistic Gymnastics Apparatus Championships on June 6. (Taku Hosokawa)

Popular Olympic gold medal gymnast Kenzo Shirai missed out on competing in the Tokyo Games, but the techniques that he pioneered will continue piling up points for those who dare to attempt them. 

Shirai, 24, who has battled nagging injuries in recent years, announced his retirement on June 16. He leaves behind a half dozen gymnastic techniques named after him. 

Shirai competed in the All Japan Artistic Gymnastics Apparatus Championships on June 5 and 6, a qualifier for the Tokyo Olympics.

Shirai came in second in the floor exercise, one of his favorite events, which eliminated him from the Japanese Olympic squad.

Shirai said at a news conference held in Yokohama that he has already started working as a coach at his alma mater, Nippon Sport Science University.

“Since I was a teenager, I have wanted to retire after the Tokyo Olympics and become a coach in the future,” he said. “I did not expect that I could not compete in Tokyo, but I have no regrets.”

Shirai at age 17 became the first high school student to represent Japan at the 2013 world championships and won a gold medal in the individual floor exercise.

It marked a sensational world debut for the teen, who earned the nickname "flipping prince." In the floor exercise and individual vault, Shirai nailed three flips that nobody had ever landed successfully in a major international competition.

All three techniques were later named “Shirai.”

Shirai went on to win a bronze medal in the individual vault and a team gold medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

As of now, six techniques have been named after the gymnast. 

At the world championships in 2017, Japan’s ace, Kohei Uchimura, withdrew from the competition due to an injury.

Shirai rose to the challenge and won the bronze medal in the men’s individual all-around. He also won the gold medal in the floor exercise and vault, raising his profile even more as the new ace of Japan's men's gymnastics.

But in 2019, he suffered an ankle injury and failed to make the national squad for the world championships, which he had competed in five consecutive times.

Afterward, he suffered injuries to his shoulder and waist.

In early April, a chronic backache returned and made it hard for Shirai to even run.

Shirai told people close to him, including his parents, both of whom are gymnastics coaches, that the Tokyo Olympic qualifying event “could be my last performance.”

His condition on June 6 was far from perfect.

“I just wanted to have my gymnastics engraved in spectators’ mind's eyes,” he said.

Fans in the stand roared at the sight of Shirai performing a signature backflip with four twists, a technique that he had sealed off for years due to injuries. 

Mission accomplished. 

“I gave it my all,” Shirai said, waving at the spectators and cameras over and over again. 

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