PICKING UP THE PACE

Liu brothers make instant impact

Despite a mixed reaction from fans, the head coach of China's short-track speed skating team has hailed the arrival of naturalized stars the Liu brothers as a game-changer for developing the country's own young talents.

An Olympic-standard rink, fiercely contested races and an electrifying atmosphere in a sold-out arena — it felt just like Beijing 2022 again for Sandor Liu Shaolin and Liu Shaoang at last week's Chinese national championships, except this time they were competing at home.

Born in Budapest to a Chinese father and Hungarian mother, the Liu brothers made their high-profile debuts as Chinese citizens at the domestic meet after switching nationalities to represent their father's home country, having skated for Hungary at two Winter Games (Pyeongchang 2018 and Beijing 2022).