With the Olympics just months away, Norimasa Hirai will retire as chairman of the Japan Swimming Federation.
According to Yahoo Japan, Hirai’s retirement was approved by the Japanese swimming committee on May 10.
Hirai coached Olympic gold medalist Kosuke Kitajima and was named the head coach of the Japan national team after the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He began serving as chairman of the Japanese Swimming Federation in 2015.
The replacement will be announced with the June re-election of Japan Swimming Federation officers, according to the report.
There are multiple candidates who are possible candidates to replace Hirai.
Takayuki Umehara, who has coached Daiya Seto in the past, is a candidate to take over the post, according to Yahoo Japan.
Daichi Suzuki head of Japan Sports Agency
Another emerging candidate is Daichi Suzuki, the former commissioner of the Japan Sports Agency, as well as a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame Class of 2020.
Suzuki served as chairman from 2013-2015 and could return to the post. He won Olympic gold in the 100-meter backstroke at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.
He retired from the Japan Sports Agency and upon retirement, Suzuki became the varsity coach at Juntendo University. He also sat on the board of Japan’s Anti-Doping Agency, as well as serving on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Athlete Committee. He eventually was selected as President of the Japan Swimming Federation, and more recently was named to head Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.