London 2012 Olympic judo champion Kaori Matsumoto of Japan has said she is set to retire ©Getty Images

London 2012 Olympic judo champion Kaori Matsumoto of Japan has announced that she will retire following a disappointing return to the mat. 

The 31-year-old won Olympic gold at London 2012 in the 57 kilograms final and bronze in the same category at Rio 2016.

She also has two World Championship titles to her name, triumphing in 2010 and 2015. 

Matsumoto is now set to retire.

She gave birth to her daughter in June 2017 and returned to competition last year with the goal of winning gold at Tokyo 2020.

Japan's Kaori Matsumoto, in blue, won an Olympic bronze medal at Rio 2016 alongside her London 2012 gold ©Getty Images
Japan's Kaori Matsumoto, in blue, won an Olympic bronze medal at Rio 2016 alongside her London 2012 gold ©Getty Images

She recently exited the Kodokan Cup, one of Japan's leading tournaments, in the first round, however.

The event offered qualification for August's World Judo Championships in Tokyo. 

Following her exit, Mastumoto said her chances of competing at Tokyo 2020 were "zero percent", as reported by The Japan Times.

She also said that there was a "50-50 chance" of her competing at a lower level.