Short track speed skating: Top 5 things to know about brothers Shaolin Liu and Shaoang Liu

Short track speed skating is one of the most dynamic and unpredictable Olympic disciplines to watch, and brothers Shaolin Liu and Shaoang Liu are two of its most exciting athletes.

The pair were born in Budapest to a Chinese father and a Hungarian mother, and won Olympic gold in the men’s 5,000m relay at PyeongChang 2018.

They are looking to defend that title at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. Here are five facts about Shaolin Liu and Shaoang Liu that you may not have known.

Shaolin Liu and Shaoang Liu: Growing up

When the brothers were young, they trained in China for a prolonged period. This was an essential moment for Shaolin Liu.

They can both speak fluent Mandarin – as well as English and Hungarian.

"We go [to China] every year, so it's not new ground for us. We love the food, we love the culture, we can speak the language, there's nothing that can surprise us. So we are ready for it,” Shaoang said to CGTN.

Shaolin Liu: Eyebrows and Winks

Shaolin has developed a signature entrance to the ice. When his name is announced before the race, Shaolin touches his eyebrows and winks to the camera. It was his coach that suggested it once and Shaolin has been doing it ever since.

“I just did a little wink in the camera and everybody loved it! It gives me good luck. I win a lot of races with my luck,” he said to Olympics.com

Liu brothers: Glory from 2018 Olympics in South Korea

The men’s 5,000m relay victory was historic for Hungary. It was the first ever Olympic title for the country at the Winter Olympic Games. It was the first Olympic medal of any kind since the 1980 Games in Lake Placid.

Shaolin Liu, Shaoang Liu, Viktor Knoch, and Csaba Burjan became heroes for their home country.

"We were the eighth team to qualify for the Olympics – the last team. So to win it was a good story,” Shaoang said to CGTN.

"In Korea, people started recognising us, then at the airport, too. I went out to Pyeongchang with 5,000 Instagram followers and came back with 100,000. It was massive. Back home, people wanted to party with us and then people started recognising us in China. We want to be even bigger in Beijing, that's our dream.”

Liu brothers: Big in China

With a population of 1.4 billion people, the brothers are hoping to receive some support from the home crowd.

“Hopefully, even if there are Chinese skaters, they will cheer for us the same way they’d be cheering for Chinese skaters. We love our Chinese fans,” Shaoang said.

Shaolin Liu and Shaoang Liu: How and where to watch at the Olympics

The qualification process for the Liu brothers is yet to be completed. If they do secure their berth in the competition, then they will have to progress through the semi-finals on February 11. The final is then on February 16.

The full schedule for short track and other disciplines is available here.