Meet Liu Shaoang and Shaolin Sándor Liu, the Olympic gold skaters who made their runway debut
The brothers, who were born to a Chinese father and Hungarian mother, now represent China in sport – and appeared at Shanghai Fashion Week
Olympic gold medallists and short-track speed skaters Shaolin Sándor Liu and Liu Shaoang are in the spotlight again.
Born to a Hungarian mother and Chinese father, the Lius competed for Hungary at the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics, making history for Hungary with their gold medal wins. They began representing China in 2023.
Here’s everything to know about the two.
Before skating, their first sport was swimming
Sandor, 30, and Shaoang, 28, were born in Budapest to a Chinese father and a Hungarian mother. They began swimming in their preteen years, though both eventually quit after they reportedly found it frequently led to various ailments. When Shaolin was 11 and Shaoang was eight, they picked up skating – and have not looked back since.
“Our parents never imagined we’d become professional athletes,” Shaoang said in an interview with China Daily in 2025. “But, growing up with my brother Shaolin, training together, competing together, winning together – he gave me so much motivation. With him around, I always felt reassured and driven.”
Their father, who is from Tianjin, sent the brothers to train in Changchun in northeast China. The brothers are fluent in Mandarin. Returning a year and a half later, the brothers proved to be unstoppable on the ice and went on to win various competitions in Europe.