Japan's two-time figure skating world champion Shoma Uno announced his retirement on Thursday at the age of 26, saying his years on the ice had been "wonderful."

Uno finished fourth at the world championships in March in Montreal, where he had been attempting to win his third consecutive title.

"I have made the decision to retire" from competition, Uno wrote in Japanese on his Instagram account.

"After being introduced to skating at the age of five, I was able to continue for 21 years," he said.

"I'm grateful to have had a wonderful time competing."

Uno will explain his decision during a news conference on May 14.

Uno was unable to match the domination of his unbeaten 2022-23 campaign, with runner-up finishes in Grand Prix events in China and Japan.

He also finished behind 19-year-old American Ilia Malinin, the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition, during the Grand Prix Final.

Uno earned the silver medal in men's singles at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in 2018. He won bronze in both the men's singles and team event at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games.