"One in a Billion" Volleyball Queen Kim Yeon-koung Recognized by the International Volleyball Federation

"Can’t you compete in the Olympics one more time?" Support

[Image source=Yonhap News]

"Korea's Kim Yeon-koung is a player who might appear once in a billion." The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) praised Kim Yeon-koung (33, Shanghai, China) for her outstanding performance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This reaction came as the women's volleyball team secured a spot in the semifinals.

The team defeated the European powerhouse Turkey 3-2 in a full-set battle in the women's volleyball quarterfinals at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo on the 4th. This marked their first Olympic semifinal appearance in nine years since the 2012 London Games.

The key contributor was undoubtedly Kim Yeon-koung. She encouraged her teammates with strong leadership and scored the highest points in the match with 28. Especially at the match point of 14-13 in the 5th set, she sealed the intense game with a powerful diagonal attack.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Following her stellar performance, FIVB posted a photo of Kim Yeon-koung on their official Instagram, writing, "We have said it again and again. Korea's Kim Yeon-koung is a player who might appear once in a billion." This was not the first praise from FIVB. When the team defeated the Dominican Republic in the group stage, they wrote, "Kim Yeon-koung once again showed why she is one of the best players in the world." After beating Japan, they cheered, "Can she come to the Olympics one more time?"

Meanwhile, fueled by their success at the Tokyo Olympics, the Korean women's volleyball team rose to 11th place in the world rankings on this day.