Kwak Yoon-ki said, 'I felt empty after being outrun by my juniors in the final qualifying round.'
Kwak Yoon-ki, a 'living history of short track,' revealed his retirement reasons and his feelings of emptiness.
In the June 7 episode of the MBC entertainment show Grants! Homes, Kwak Yoon-ki, who concluded his 30-year athletic career, appeared and shared his daily life after retirement.
Kwak Yoon-ki said, 'I am currently not exercising and enjoying my free time,' smiling brightly. In response, the MCs expressed their joy, stating, 'The legend of short track has arrived.' Kwak noted, 'There are many great seniors, but I think I worked hard as well' and expressed, 'I received a lot of support and love for 30 years, and I was really happy.'
Now that his daily routine of training since 5 a.m. has disappeared, he shared, 'There's no reason for me to get up anymore. At first, I felt a sense of liberation, but over time, I started to think, 'What am I living for now?' and expressed his feeling of emptiness.
The reason he decided to retire was the qualifying round for the Milan Winter Olympics. Kwak stated, 'The final national representative qualifying round was the one for the Milan Winter Olympics next year. However, I was completely outrun by my juniors there. I felt it for sure.'
In response, Yang Se-hyung noted, 'If you keep resting, you eventually realize how precious the workplace is.'
Meanwhile, Kwak Yoon-ki has been a key member of the South Korean short track national team since the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics, earning fans' love with his lively talk and sincere attitude.
[Photo] Grants! Homes
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