Chinese volleyball star retires at age 30

Chinese men's volleyball veteran setter Yu Yaochen officially announced his retirement at age 30.

He shared the news on social media platform Weibo, marking an incomplete ending as persistent injuries ultimately forced him to stop.

In reality, this decision was not sudden. Back in 2022, Yu Yaochen had already submitted a retirement request due to physical issues and went to Japan for study. Over the past four years, he continuously balanced studying, rehabilitation treatment, and hopes of returning to competition. However, all efforts ultimately could not help him overcome the long-term injuries.

In an emotional post, Yu Yaochen admitted he once believed he could play until age 40. But harsh reality proved otherwise. "I always thought I could push a little further. But no matter how hard I tried, given my current injury condition, returning to peak performance is very difficult. My body no longer withstands high-intensity training and competition," he wrote.

Nevertheless, the 1995-born setter stated he has no regrets. Throughout his career, he always competed and trained with 100% effort.

Yu Yaochen made his mark at youth level with achievements like Asian Youth Championship runner-up, U19 World Championship runner-up, and winning the Best Setter award at continental youth competitions. He debuted for the Chinese national team in 2017 and participated in major tournaments such as the 2021 Asian Championship, 2022 Asian Cup, and ASIAD 2023.

At club level, Yu Yaochen also left an impression by contributing to Shanghai's third-place finish in the 2025-2026 Chinese National Volleyball League, despite constantly traveling between Japan and China during his final career stage.