Kim Yeon-koung ends her 20-year playing career with a glorious retirement victory
The queen of volleyball, Kim Yeon-koung (37, Heungkuk Life), concluded her 20-year career as a professional athlete with a perfect exclamation point: a championship victory.
On the 8th, at the Incheon Samsan World Sports Center, Kim Yeon-koung showcased a one-woman show by scoring a total of 34 points, including 7 blocks, leading her team to a 3-2 (26-24, 26-24, 24-26, 23-25, 15-13) victory in the final match of the V-League women’s championship series.
Competing as the top seed in the regular season, Heungkuk Life lifted its fifth championship trophy in six years by achieving a series record of 3 wins and 2 losses since the 2018-19 season.
Kim Yeon-koung was unanimously selected as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the championship match by the press, adding brilliance to her final stage.
All 6082 tickets for Kim Yeon-koung's last game sold out early. The stands were filled with fans wearing Heungkuk Life uniforms and waving cheering tools, creating a massive wave of pink.
Banners expressing regret over Kim Yeon-koung's retirement, such as "Kim Yeon-koung, I was happy to be with you" and "Don't go, don't leave," were displayed everywhere, and some fans were seen getting emotional while calling her name.
A spectacular finale filled with classic matches
The match itself was truly a classic. Heungkuk Life, having won 2 matches and lost 2, faced Jeongkwanjang, who recovered with 2 wins after 2 losses, pouring all their energy into the decisive fifth match.
Each of the first three sets went to deuce, and the fourth set also concluded with a margin of just 2 points.
The scoring battle between Kim Yeon-koung and Jeongkwanjang's main player Megawatti Patiwi (registered name Mega, 37 points) was closely contested. The two teams exchanged sets, but ultimately it would be decided in the final fifth set.
In the closing moments of the back-and-forth fifth set, Heungkuk Life's last quick attack fell in the middle of Jeongkwanjang's court, ending the match with a score of 14-13.
The stands erupted in cheers and tears, and Kim Yeon-koung embraced her teammates while celebrating joyfully.
After the match, Kim Yeon-koung expressed, "I can't believe it. I don't know if this is a dream or reality," and added, "I am grateful to show great volleyball to many people. I'm really thankful that my teammates finished this beautifully."
Kim Yeon-koung is regarded as an exceptional player born from Korean volleyball. With her explosive attacks and solid defense coming from her 1.92m stature, she dominated the volleyball world from the start of her career.
In her rookie season of 2005-06, she swept the regular season MVP and Rookie of the Year awards, and in 2009, she became the first Korean player to play overseas, competing on the world stage in Japan, Turkey, and China.
The extraordinary queen of volleyball, rewriting the history of Korean volleyball
In the V-League, she has exclusively played for Heungkuk Life, proving to be an influential presence by leading her team to the championship in every season she participated. She has set an extraordinary record by winning the regular season MVP award 6 times, with a strong chance of a seventh this season.
As a national team member, Kim Yeon-koung was also active in European leagues and received lucrative naturalization offers from around the world but steadfastly rejected them, proudly representing the Taegeuk mark.
She led the national team to the Olympic semifinals twice (2012 London, 2021 Tokyo) and participated in a total of 271 matches for the national team, recording 4,981 points.
Notably, during the London Olympics, she set an Olympic record with an average of 25.8 points per game across 8 matches, earning her MVP status as an exceptional player from the fourth-place team.
On February 13, Kim Yeon-koung declared, "I will play only until this season and retire," prompting the entire V-League to honor her. Each team's last away game planned retirement ceremonies, leading to the first-ever "retirement tour" in the V-League.
Heungkuk Life has designated Kim Yeon-koung's No. 10 jersey as permanently retired, and Ari Grasa, president of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), praised her as "a role model who has inspired millions of players and fans around the world and one of the greatest volleyball players in history."
Now, Kim Yeon-koung leaves the court fulfilling her dream of a "championship finale."
She urged, "I retire this way, but I hope that volleyball fans will continue to support the younger players in the future," and concluded, "I am really happy. I will leave on a good note, so please send me off with smiles."
Image source: News1
