'Goddess' Hui on brink of retiring

China's star hitter Hui Ruoqi has stunned the volleyball world by admitting injury is forcing her to consider quitting the game in her prime.

The 26-year-old Rio Olympic gold medalist (pictured) dropped the bombshell as she received the Most Popular Female Athlete award at the China Top Ten Benefitting Laureus Sport for Good event in Beijing on Wednesday night.

"I am indeed thinking about retiring and discussing it with my parents and superiors," said Nanjing native Hui, who has played for Jiangsu and Guangdong Evergrande in the Chinese Volleyball League.

In 2010 Hui had seven nails inserted to repair damage to her left shoulder before undergoing two heart surgeries in subsequent years.

Referencing retired NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, Hui said that her physical condition could not allow her to continue.

"I have watched Kobe's jersey-number retirement ceremony this week and he had a really wonderful career. That made me think of how I should arrange mine," she said.

The former Chinese team captain can already look back on a glorious 10-year career, which peaked in 2016 when, recovering from her second heart surgery, she led China to a surprise victory at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Dubbed a "volleyball goddess" by fans, some have speculated that a career in showbusiness could now beckon for Hui.

However, when asked whether she would become an actress after retirement, Hui said that she had not considered such a move and her top priority was to complete her studies at Nanjing Normal University.