Czech rower Ondrej Synek, a three-time Olympic medalist in single sculls, said Monday he would skip the Tokyo Olympics over health problems.

The 38-year-old, who won silver at Beijing 2008 and London 2012 and bronze at Rio 2016, is suffering from a syndrome affecting his performance.

"The most difficult decision in my rowing career," Synek, who is also a five-time world champion, said on Facebook in a post in English.

"I was crying and I am very sad but now it is the best decision that I could do," he added.