CARVING OUT A DIFFERENT PATH

Short-track speed skater Liu Shaoang is ready to write a new chapter in his Olympic story

With a disarming smile and explosive speed on the ice, Liu Shaoang is preparing to glide into the spotlight once again — but this time, under a new flag. The 27-year-old short-track speed skating sensation, born in Budapest and once a golden boy for Hungary, is now writing the next chapter of his career with China.

With the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics fast approaching, for Liu it's not just another Games cycle, but his most meaningful — his first Olympics representing the country of his heritage.

That sense of belonging runs deep. Born in Budapest in 1998 to a Chinese father and a Hungarian mother, Liu Shaoang and his older brother Liu Shaolin grew up immersed in both cultures.