Ku Min-jung

In this Korean name, the family name is Ku.
Ku Min-jung
Personal information
Nationality South Korea
Born (1973-08-25) 25 August 1973 (age 51)
Jeollabuk-do, South Korea
Height1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight73 kg (161 lb)
Spike315 cm (124 in)
Block300 cm (120 in)
Volleyball information
PositionWing spiker
Current clubHyundai Seoul
Honours
Women's volleyball
Representing  South Korea
Asian Games
Silver medal – second place 1998 Bangkok Team
Silver medal – second place 2002 Busan Team

Ku Min-jung (also Gu Min-jeong, Korean: 구 민정; born August 25, 1973, in Jeollabuk-do) is a retired South Korean volleyball player.[1] She represented South Korea in two editions of the Olympic Games (2000 and 2004), and also often played as an outside hitter and attacker.[2] Ku was also a member of the South Korea women's national volleyball team who attained a great success in the late 1990s and early 2000s, capturing two silver medals each at the Asian Men's Volleyball Championship (1993 and 1997) and at the Asian Games (1998 and 2002).[2]

Ku made her official debut at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, where she competed as a member of the South Korean squad in the women's volleyball tournament. Collecting a total of three triumphs, two losses, and eight classification points in the preliminary pool, the South Koreans lost the quarterfinal match to the U.S. squad, led by Kerri Walsh (who later turned into a beach volleyball player in the next three Olympics), with a five-score set of 24–26, 25–17, 23–25, 27–25, 14–16. During the fifth round of the match, Ku returned a ball down the left line that was called out and ended into a protest against the aggressive Americans.[3][4] After suffering a heavy defeat in the quarterfinals, the South Korean squad finished eighth in a classification round match against Croatia with a set score of 1–3.[5]

When South Korea hosted the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, Ku helped the South Koreans capture the silver medal in a final match against China with a set score of 1–3.[6]

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Ku qualified for the second time as a member and captain of the South Korean squad in the women's volleyball tournament after receiving an automatic berth from the Asian Championships. Unable to improve a fair performance from Sydney, she and the rest of the South Korean team were defeated in the quarterfinal match against Russia with a unanimous set score of 0–3 (17–25, 15–25, 22–25).[7][8] Ku was also appointed as the flag bearer for Korea, along with former basketball coach Kim Sung-Ho, under a joint march in the opening ceremony.[9][10]

  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Ku Min-Jung". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  2. ^ a b "Athens 2004 – South Korea Team Profiles" (PDF). FIVB. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  3. ^ "Sydney 2000: Volleyball – Women's Quarterfinal Match (USA vs. KOR)" (PDF). Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. p. 102. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 September 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  4. ^ Mitchell, Fred (27 September 2000). "U.S. Women Edge Korea, Earn Semis". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  5. ^ "Sydney 2000: Volleyball – Women's Classification Round 7–8 Match (CRO vs. KOR)" (PDF). Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. p. 95. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 September 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  6. ^ "China Takes Women's Volleyball Gold at Asian Games". Xinhua. China Radio International. 13 December 2006. Archived from the original on September 30, 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  7. ^ "China, Russia, Cuba, Brazil through to semifinals". FIVB. 24 August 2004. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  8. ^ "Women's Volleyball Quarterfinal Match (RUS vs. KOR)". Athens 2004. BBC Sport. 15 August 2004. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  9. ^ Cho, Jin-Seo (13 August 2004). "2004 Athens: Flag Bearers for the Opening Ceremony". Korea Times. Retrieved 11 September 2013.
  10. ^ "Moon's Gold Lifts Korea Into Ninth". Olympics. 30 August 2004. Retrieved 24 September 2013.