24-year-old Mei Ichinose, who holds a Japanese record in the 7th para-swimming event, will retire and said at a press conference, "I've done everything I can do with swimming."
Ichinose, who has no elbows on his right arm since he was born, is 24 years old from Kyoto.
In the para-swimming, we have a Japanese record in 7 events such as the 200m individual medley.
He participated in the 8th event at the Rio de Janeiro Paralympics and finished 6th in the women's 400m relay, but missed the representative at the Tokyo Paralympics.
On the 29th, Ichinose held a press conference to announce his retirement at Kinki University, where he said, "I've done everything I can do with swimming. I was 9 years old when I started aiming for the Paralympics, and I could see the scenery I couldn't imagine. Thanks to everyone. When I looked back, I had no regrets and I really did it, "he said with a radiant expression.
Ichinose continues to work on his own SNS to eliminate prejudice and discrimination against disabilities, saying, "Swimming will retire, but the desire to eliminate" disabilities "from society remains unchanged. It is not a sport. I want to move the place of activity to a place. "
When asked what it takes to do that, he says, "Everyone has some kind of minority in them. If they can notice and accept it, they can accept other people and treat them with love." Was answered.