![Suwon Kepco Vixtorm opposite hitter Lim Sung-jin poses for a photo during an interview with JoongAng Ilbo at the Vixtorm Training Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi on Monday. [JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2023/12/21/9007d257-f57a-40c1-9c0c-ea4308a978bf.jpg)
Suwon Kepco Vixtorm opposite hitter Lim Sung-jin poses for a photo during an interview with JoongAng Ilbo at the Vixtorm Training Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi on Monday. [JOONGANG ILBO]
Suwon Kepco Vixtorm Opposite hitter Lim Sung-jin, nicknamed the “Prince of Suwon”, is on the rise in the V League.
Lim has established himself as a regular selection for Vixtorm this season after making his professional debut in 2020.
The 24-year-old has scored 198 points this season as of press time on Thursday, and is the team’s second-highest scorer, showing impressive performance alongside the team’s top scorer, Theis ter Horst of the Netherlands, with 340 points.
Lim’s defensive and receiving skills also improved compared to previous seasons. He gave his all at Vixtorm, helping the team overcome early season wobbliness to climb to fourth place in the seven-team table. Lim also represented Korea at the Asian Games in Hangzhou in September, although the men’s national volleyball team failed to medal.
“I’ve been really busy, but I think being busy is good for an athlete,” Lim said during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo newspaper at the Vixtorm Training Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi on Monday. “I don’t really have much desire for individual statistics. I want to be a good player at everything.”
Lim said weight training is one of the reasons he has improved this season.
“I was 82 kilograms (180 pounds) last year, but it was 86 or 87 kilograms before the start of this season,” Lim said. “I felt like I gained weight, but I still didn’t feel heavy. My body fat stayed at nine percent. I think my body got bigger.” [due to gaining muscle].
His improved form has also caught the attention of fans from all over the world, with people from Thailand, Japan and Taiwan attending Vixtorm matches to see him in person.
In addition to his form, Lim said he is also looking forward to changing his personality on the field.
“I worked [to alter my character] “I think athletes need to be more like extroverts,” Lim said. “I try to make big moves when I have the chance to score.
“I recognized the saying: ‘You will lose your courage if you think too long.’ I think a lot during matches, and this leads to bad results… Volleyball, in particular, requires quick thinking.
Lim and his teammates are aiming for Vixtorm’s first ever V League title, having finished fourth in the seven-team table last season.
Vixtorm was scheduled to face Ansan OK Financial Group Okman on Thursday at 7pm as of press time.
Written by Kim Hyo Kyung [kjdsports@joongang.co.kr]