Liu Xiaotong retires: Chinese Olympic volleyball champion to become a coach, saying ‘the thing I missed most was my passion’
- The 31-year-old Beijing captain and league outside spiker MVP is to take up assistant coaching role at the club
- ‘I defended all my national team coaches and teammates during the different ups and downs,’ Liu says
Olympic champion volleyball player Liu Xiaotong has announced her retirement from the sport after a career filled with “ups and downs”.
The 31-year-old outside spiker will reportedly assume the role of assistant coach at long-time Chinese Women’s Volleyball League team Beijing Baic Motor, whom she captained to a first title in 2018-19 when she was named the league’s best outside spiker.
“I have been planning this for a while,” the Jilin native said in a video posted on the China national women’s volleyball team’s official Weibo account on Thursday.
“The thing I missed most was my passion for volleyball. Since I started playing at the age of 12, for almost 20 years, what I miss is the passion to contribute to the sport.
“From 2013 to now with the national team, I defended all my coaches and teammates, during the different ups and downs. I faced a lot of difficulties, so thanks for everyone’s support over these years to allow me to gracefully represent the team.
“A lot of people have helped me – I can’t thank them one by one – but I want to give thanks especially to my family members. I wouldn’t be where I am today without their love and support.”
Aside from being part of Lang Ping’s legendary China Rio 2016 Olympics team five years ago – the country’s third Olympic title – Liu boasts two FIVB World Cup titles (2015 and 2019), 2017 World Grand Champions Cup gold, 2018 Asian Games gold, and one silver and one bronze at the 2014 and 2018 world championships, respectively.
