Shaoang Liu

Liu was born to a Chinese father and a Hungarian mother in Budapest on 13 March 1998.^[3][4] Before taking up skating, Liu and his brother Shaolin swam for two years, but they frequently got colds as a result. After looking for different sports to compete in, they took up short track speed skating in 2006.

In 2006, the World Championships were held in Hungary. Their father assisted the Chinese team during their stay, helping with their stay and guiding them around. After the Chinese team suggested his two sons should go train in China due to their half-Chinese ethnicity, Liu's father agreed to take the boys to China in 2006 where they trained for one and a half years.^[5] After returning from China, they began to win various minor European competitions. In 2012, Zhang Jing came from China to coach Liu and his brother.

He studied sports management at the University of Debrecen.^[6]

At the 2018 Winter Olympics held in At Pyeongchang, Liu represented Hungary in short track speed skating. 2018, he won gold with Team Hungary in the 5000 m men's relay, whose winning time was a world record.^[7] This team gold was also the first ever gold medal won at the Winter Olympics by Hungary.^[8]

At the 2022 Winter Olympics held in Beijing, he became Hungary's most successful winter Olympian in 2022 after winning two bronze medals and one gold at the Beijing Olympics in 2022.^[9][10] He won a gold in 500 m, having led from start to finish.^[11] This win was the first ever individual gold medal at the Winter Olympics for Hungary.^[12] He won an individual bronze in the 1,000 m, and as part of the team in the 2,000m mixed relay.^[13]

In November 2022, Liu and his brother requested consent from the Hungarian National Skating Federation to allow them to change nationality, a request which was granted in December, but they would need to sit out of competing for 12 months after when the nationality would be changed.^[14][15]

• List of Olympic medalist families