Russian Olympic gymnastics medalist Stretovich announced his retirement at the age of 27

2016 Olympic silver medalist in artistic gymnastics Ivan Stretovich announced his retirement from his professional career.

Stretovich won Olympic silver in Rio de Janeiro in the team championship, alongside Nikita Nagorny, David Belyavsky, Denis Ablyazin and Nikolai Kuksenkov.

— Professional sport is a complex mechanism where all factors must come together to achieve a high result, I can say with 100% confidence that I succeeded.

My 21-year career has been brilliant, interesting, there have been ups and triumphs not only on the Russian stage but also on the international stage. There have been falls, injuries, difficult and long recoveries, but I have walked this path with dignity, my head held high and I am proud of what I have accomplished.

I am grateful to gymnastics for making me a person. This sport truly builds character, teaches how to work as a team, set goals and achieve them in and outside of sport. I would like to thank my family, my coaches, my managers and everyone who accompanied me throughout my journey, supported me, worried me, rejoiced, cried. You and I wrote this story together. THANKS.

Now a new stage awaits me. I’m sure it won’t be any less interesting. “I am not leaving the sport, I am staying in it, but in a different role,” Stretovich wrote on the Telegram channel.

Stretovich is 27 years old. In addition to silver at the 2016 Olympics, he won the 2019 World Championship in the team competition, two bronze medals and two silvers at the 2019 Universiade in Naples.