Legendary libero and “Queen of Digs” Kim Hae-ran has begun the second act of her career.
She will retire from the sport after the 2023-24 season.
Born in 1984, Kim joined the Korea Expressway Corporation in 2002 and stayed with the organization until 2015. In 2015, she moved to KGC Ginseng Corporation (now Jungkwanjang), and in 2017, she joined Heungkuk Life. She took a break in the 2020-21 season due to childbirth, but returned to her best in the 2021-22 season. 안전 토토사이트 She decided to retire from active play at the end of the 2023-24 season.
Kim played 19 seasons in the V-League, which was founded in 2005, and she left a colorful footprint. In 2009-10, she became the first woman to reach 5,000 defenses, and in 2015-16, she became the first player in history to reach 10,000 defenses. At the end of the 2023-24 season, she ranks second all-time in digs combined with receptions with 16,118.
She still ranks first all-time in digs with 11,059 and second all-time in receptions with 5,059.
National libero Kim Hae-ran also shined. She was a member of the London 2012 Olympic quarterfinals and helped South Korea’s women’s volleyball team qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games for the third consecutive time.
The previous season, however, Kim was plagued by nagging knee injuries. She played just eight regular-season matches and 30 sets. “We have decided to respect the player’s opinion that it is difficult for her to play on the court anymore due to knee pain,” Heungkuk Life said in May, adding, “We are grateful to Kim Hae-ran for her dedication to the team.”
Kim is scheduled to undergo surgery on both knees in August.
“We will provide support for Kim Hae-ran to prepare for her second life in good health, including surgical expenses, and support her as much as possible in her coaching career,” said Heungkuk Life.
“Her passion for volleyball and her dedication to defending with her body will be a great example for younger players as well as fans who love volleyball. The club will discuss her path as a coach after her quick recovery and will actively support her.”
“I tried a lot to show my best on the court until the last moment. “It was not easy to make the decision to retire,” said Kim. “I would like to thank the fans for their support and the club for supporting my career. I was happy to be able to live as Kim Hae-ran, a libero loved by many fans,” she said.
In an interview with , she also said, “I was always happy while playing volleyball. I always loved volleyball itself. I’ve done everything I wanted to do as a player, so it’s a good retirement,” she said, adding, “I think I need to focus on recovering my body for the next year or so. Once I’m fully recovered, I’ll try to find something related to volleyball, such as coaching,” she said.
Kim Hae-ran, who announced her retirement from active duty this year, also attended the national retirement ceremony with Kim Yeon-kyung on the 8th to say goodbye to the fans. The journey of Kim Hae-ran, the athlete who made history, has come to an end. A new page begins for Kim Hae-ran, who has started a second life.
