The ‘Taegeuk mark’ that I dreamed of with my best friend Yeon-kyung Kim… Kim Su-ji putting it down together

Kim Su-ji (34, IBK Industrial Bank of Korea), the women’s volleyball national center, decided to put down the Taegeuk mark with ‘best friend’ Kim Yeon-kyung (33, Shanghai, China).

On the 12th, Kim Yeon-kyung, captain of the women’s volleyball team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, visited Han-nam Oh, president of the Korea Volleyball Association, and announced her intention to retire from the national team.

For Kim Su-ji, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was the last Olympic Games she held as a national team. After losing to Serbia in the bronze medal match at the Tokyo Olympics on the 8th, he posted on Instagram, “My last Olympics, which were so precious.”

In a phone interview with Yonhap News on the 14th, Kim Su-ji explained the reason for stepping down from the national team center seat, saying, “I think it should be the last time. Now, it is right for bright young athletes to prepare for the next Olympics.”

Regarding the possibility of participating in international competitions other than the Olympics, Kim Su-ji said, “I didn’t think about it in detail,” but said, “If I want to participate in the Olympics, I need to have other experiences.”

Since it was the last Olympics I played, this event was even more special.

Kim Su-ji said, “I got along well with the foreign coach and staff, so I had high expectations. If the Olympics had been held in 2020 without being delayed by a year, if it had come out before I was one year older, I also thought that I could have high expectations.”

He said, “I almost couldn’t participate in the Olympics due to an abs injury, but my condition improved and I was so happy that I had the opportunity again,” he said.

Kim Su-ji shed tears when she defeated Japan in the group stage and confirmed the place to the quarterfinals.

He recalled, “I didn’t have a conversation with Yeon-kyung about ‘the last Olympics’. But, as the saying goes, ‘there is no Korea-Japan war anymore.’

Kim Su-ji, born in 1987, and Kim Yeon-kyung, who was born in early 1988, are friends who grew up as volleyball players together at Ansan Seo Elementary School, Wongok Middle School, and Hanil Jeonsan Girls’ High School.

Kim Su-ji said, “When I was in elementary school, when I asked about my dream, I said, ‘I want to represent the national team.’ Yeon-kyung also said that my dream is to represent the national team.”

Regarding Kim Yeon-kyung, who was reaffirmed as a world-class athlete with her outstanding leadership in this tournament, Kim Su-ji said, “The only thing that has changed for Yeon-kyung from elementary school is one height.”

He continued, “The personality is the same except for the fact that he has become more mature. The appearance is the same. Taking care of people and playing around are the same as in the past.” “When I was young, I was the biggest in the volleyball club, but Yeon-kyung was the smallest. 15~ It was about 20 centimeters smaller,” he recalled.

After joining the pro at 186 cm, Kim Yeon-kyung grew to 192 cm tall, surpassing Kim Su-ji, who was 188 cm tall.

Although they have been friends for more than 20 years, Kim Su-ji expressed her respect and gratitude for Kim Yeon-kyung with the words ‘Captain, Oh My Captain’ and a video on Instagram.

Kim Su-ji said, “It was a fan-made video, and I uploaded it because I got a lot of sympathy.” “All players will think that way.”

Kim Su-ji cheered for Kim Yeon-kyung, saying, “I suffered a lot while on the national team. I will continue my career as a player in the future, but let’s end our career as a good player by relying on each other and working hard together without any major injuries.”

Kim Su-ji also thanked the national team coach Stefano Lavarini.

In an interview at the Tokyo Olympics, coach Lavarini explained that the reason the national team had better results than before was ‘because Su-Ji Kim and Hee-Jin Kim, who were missing due to injuries, joined the team’.

However, he did not say that to Kim Su-ji. Kim Su-ji said, “Manager Lavarini tried to treat everyone fairly. What he wanted to say to each player was to finish all the matches.”

He continued, “He said to me, ‘In Korea, the center’s market share dropped, so it would have been difficult to catch the attacking or blocking rhythm, but the way you try to do one more thing gave me strength and I’m grateful.’ “He said.

Looking back on the life of the national team, Kim Su-ji said, “It’s like a national team that I can feel all the emotions that I can express as an athlete, such as reward, joy, joy, and frustration, even though it’s very exhausting and difficult.” “It’s refreshing.”

Now, Kim Su-ji returns to the V-League. He already joined IBK Industrial Bank of Korea, a professional volleyball team, and started training.

Kim Su-ji said, “I know that many people will be interested in volleyball because of the Olympics this year, so I want to repay you with better results.”

Susie Kim, nicknamed ‘Incheon headband’ during the days of Heungkuk Life Insurance and ‘Hwaseong headband’ under IBK Industrial Bank of Korea for her trademark headband fashion, received much love as a ‘national team headband’ at the Tokyo Olympics.

I will put down the Taegeuk mark, but as a professional volleyball player Kim Su-ji, I plan to play a little longer. Kim Su-ji laughed, saying, “For now, I’m thinking of running until forty.”

[사진 출처 : 연합뉴스]