Stockholm, Sweden

After having caught the COVID-19 virus twice, Shaolin Sandor Liu (HUN) didn’t know what to expect during the 2020/21 season. Taking home one gold [1000m] and two silver medals [Overall and relay] from the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Dordrecht showed an exceptional recovery for Shaolin, who tested positive for the coronavirus back in September and November 2020.

“Before I left for the World Championships, I told myself that if I don’t get good results at this competition, it doesn’t really matter. I’m preparing for the Olympics and am still young and strong.”

“But last year was tough,” he said. “I caught COVID-19 twice and missed a lot of trainings.”

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Shaolin Sandor Liu (HUN) at the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2021©International Skating Union (ISU)

Shaolin first contracted the virus in September 2020 and stayed home for almost a month. “We have a good medical team and they looked after me pretty well. I stopped training immediately and had to stay home. When I started to come back for trainings, we did MRI’s, an X-ray for my heart and they checked my blood.”

“I thought I couldn’t get it again,” Shaolin said. But on the 20th of November, his 25th birthday, he did another test. “That one came back positive, which was a surprise for me. It was tough, because I also had symptoms for the second time. It’s not nice to have it, so I am suggesting you should avoid it.”

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Shaolin Sandor Liu (HUN) at the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2021©International Skating Union (ISU)

Not being able to train, having to stay inside all the time was the most difficult part, Shaolin laughed. “I only had one thing: time. Time to think about what I wanted to achieve. So I pulled myself together and when I came back to training, I thought I was strong and I never doubted myself for a second.”

When he first stepped onto the ice, Shaolin immediately felt he wasn’t as strong as he expected to be, however. “It wasn’t easy to come back. You really have to start everything from the beginning again. That was difficult, but when you’re a professional athlete, it’s not a big deal,” he said.

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Shaolin Sandor Liu (HUN) at the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2021©International Skating Union (ISU)

Shaolin, who was part of the relay team that won Hungary’s first-ever gold at the Winter Olympics when they won the Relay Final in 2018, soon started to prepare for the 2021 ISU European and World Short Track Speed Skating Championships.

Although he missed out on the medals at the ISU European Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Gdansk [Poland] in January, Shaolin and his younger brother Shaoang put on a medal show at the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Dordrecht, the Netherlands.

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Shaoang Liu and Shaolin Sandor Liu (HUN) at the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2021©International Skating Union (ISU)

Between them, they picked up three golds and three silvers for Hungary. For Shaolin, it marked a second career world title as he clinched gold in the 1000m. It was his first ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships gold since taking home gold in the 500m in 2016. “I’m blessed it all worked out in the end. If you believe it, you can do it. When I step on the ice, I just want to steal the show.”

The Liu brothers did just that, as Shaoang seize overall gold and Shaolin the silver in Dordrecht. “It’s a really good feeling when you win, but when you win with your brother that’s different. We always look out for each other. Knowing your brother is there, is an unbelievable feeling. You can see that when we are on the ice together, no one can beat us,” Shaolin said.