The decision by Saitiev, the three-times Olympic freestyle wrestling champion, brings the curtain down on a career that has last two decades.

Saitiev, 34, one of only three wrestlers to have won three Olympic titles, was thinking of bidding for a record fourth gold at the 2012 Games in London but then changed his mind.

 

The Chechen, who won Olympic gold medals in 1996, 2004 and 2008, said: "I'm not sure I can still compete at the highest level."

 

But Nomura, who won three gold medals between Atlanta in 1996 and Athens in 2004 in the under-60kg extra-lightweight title before missing the Olympics in Beijing last year with a knee injury, is confident he can be succesful at London in 2012 when he will be 37.

 

He said: "I have made up my mind to aim for the top of the world once again.

 

"I want to work hard and win the gold medal in London so that I can say, 'I quit because I have done enough'."

 

Nomura will be returning having had surgery on his injured right knee last April.

 

He said: "After one year of rehabilitation, my condition has come back to a point where I can go for the world's number-one spot through training.

 

"It will be worthwhile to launch a challenge."

 

His first major event in his build-up to London will be the 2010 World Championships, due to be held in Tokyo.

 

Nomura said: "I have hope and confidence of becoming the world champion."