Captain Kim Yeon-kyung, who led the women's volleyball quarterfinals at the Tokyo Olympics, shed tears as she announced her retirement from the national team.
Kim Yeon-kyung said, "I personally think that this (Olympics) is not the last for the national team," said Kim Yeon-kyung, in an interview with three broadcasting companies after the game against Serbia.
He continued, "I have to discuss it with the association, but personally, I think that I put everything into it because I thought a little before the Olympics and prepared for the match, and I have no regrets."
Kim Yeon-kyung said, "I don't think anyone could have imagined that we would come this far, but I'm really proud that we did something we couldn't even believe in," he said.
Also, preparing for the final match, he shed tears, saying, "I prepared like any other day," but "I thought it could be the last while tying my shoelaces and taping."
Kim Yeon-kyung, who could not speak for a while, said, "It was a happy moment just to have come this far."
As for the national team coach, Lavarini said, "He thought of Korea more than us, and I am very grateful that he led the national team with such pride."
When asked what she wants to do in the future, Kim Yeon-kyung said, "I just want to rest for a while," he replied, "I want to go out to a restaurant to eat and be with my family."
Kim Yeon-kyung recalled, "It was so much fun to be able to play volleyball while being supported by many people like I really dreamed of during the Olympics."
He also said to his juniors, "There is still a lot to prepare, but if you think that you can do it and pay a lot of attention to women's volleyball in the future, the players will do well enough."