Beijing, 4 Apr (Zhongxin Net) -- There is a famous saying in China's sports circles, stepping off the podium and starting from scratch.

For the brothers Liu Shaolin and Liu Shaoang, who have just become part of Chinese sports, this is the opposite: walk on the podium and start from scratch.

The two finished on the podium four times over three competition days at the National Short Track Speed Skating Championships, and they began a new journey.

From the ground up

Shortly after applying to the Hungarian Skating Association for a change of nationality at the end of 2022, Liu Shaolin and Liu Shaoang said in an interview: "We are going to a new country, which means giving up everything and starting from scratch." ”

With the news at the end of March 2023 that "Liu Shaolin Liu Shaoang will compete in the National Short Track Speed Skating Championships" and "Liu Shaolin and Liu Shaoan have officially applied for nationality and household registration in Tianjin", the starting point of this journey has also become clear - representing the Tianjin team in the 3-2022 National Short Track Speed Skating Championships.

"Our father is a Chinese, from Tianjin. Then we made this decision and wanted to come back to represent our home country. Liu Shaolin responded after naturalization.

Screenshot of the video report

This competition is the first appearance of the duo after naturalization, and it is also the first time to compete as athletes of the Tianjin team.

When talking about his feelings about playing for the Tianjin team for the first time, Liu Shaolin said: "I am very happy, because my father is from Tianjin, and we also return to Tianjin every year. ”

The Tianjin short track speed skating team, which was formed in 2020, is a new team in domestic short track speed skating. The Liu brothers, who are also "newcomers", have a broad space to write history for what they call their "hometown".

Similar experiences, Liu Shaolin and Liu Shaoang are no strangers.

"We did everything we could to make Hungarian short track speed skating a success, we will never forget these years and we will always look back on them with good feelings." In an interview with foreign media, the Liu brothers once described it this way.

Data map: The picture shows Liu Shaolin, Liu Shaoang and Wu Dajing taking a group photo. Image source: Osports All Sports Images

At the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, the Hungarian short track speed skating team won the Olympic record in the men's 5000,2022-meter relay, achieving the "zero breakthrough" of the Hungarian Winter Olympic gold medal. At the 1500 Beijing Winter Olympics, Hungary won "one gold and two bronzes" in short track speed skating, and set an Olympic record in the men's <>m short track speed skating event.

Among them, Liu Shaolin and Liu Shaoang played a crucial role.

This time, they set off anew, hoping to make a similar story play out again. The identity of the athletes of the Tianjin team and the field in Beijing became the starting point of everything.

Data map: The picture shows Tianjin short track speed skating team athlete Liu Shaoang (second from right) in the men's 1500m competition. Photo by China News Agency reporter Tomita

Start on the podium

Starting anew, they started by walking up to the podium.

Wearing the aura of a Winter Olympic champion on his head is naturally also expected by the outside world, but it is not as easy as imagined.

After completing all the matches, Liu Shaolin lamented that the competition for the final had reached the "level of the World Cup final".

This is not politeness.

Although the brothers passed all individual events on the first matchday, neither of the two gold medals produced on April 4 was related to them.

The data picture shows Liu Shaolin in the competition, photo by China News Agency reporter Tomita

In the men's 1500m Group A final and 500m Group A final on the same day, both competed, but only won two bronze medals - Liu Shaoang won the third place in the 1500m, Liu Shaolin only sixth; In the final of Group A of the 500m, Liu Shaolin and Liu Shaoang ranked third and fourth respectively.

Liu Shaoang also admitted that he also needs to adapt to the domestic competition environment. In both relay events that were cancelled due to fouls and did not qualify for the final, the only chance of winning gold was the men's 1000,<>m event on the closing day.

"We gritted our teeth and worked hard today, this is our last fight, our last game, the last round, and we gritted our teeth and persevered like that." Liu Shaolin commented on the brothers' performance after the men's 1000m Group A final.

Video: Liu Shaolin breaks the national record in short track speed skating men's 1000m Source: China News Network

In the dozens of minutes before that, Liu Shaolin first skated 1:22.490 in the semifinals, not only ranking first in the group, but also breaking the national record set by Han Tianyu in 2016. His younger brother Liu Shaoang rode in the final and won his first gold medal since naturalization, and Liu Shaolin was able to finish on the podium again as a runner-up.

When asked how he felt about winning the gold medal, Liu Shaoang's answer was: "A little tired."

In the 3 finals, the brothers each finished on the podium twice.

Video: National Short Track Speed Skating Championships: Sun Long wins men's 1500m Ren Haobo and Liu Shaoang ranked second and third respectivelySource: China News Network

"So satisfied, I won a national record, and now I took the second brother and took the first place, we are very happy." Liu Shaolin's tone was light, "My younger brother is also happy, and he is also very good to us in Tianjin." ”

According to Jinyun, this is the first national record for the Tianjin short track speed skating team, and it is also the first time that the Tianjin short track speed skating team has won a national championship since its establishment, according to the report, "The Liu brothers have rewritten two histories for the Tianjin short track speed skating team."

Start anew, start from the podium and fight for Tianjin. The brothers achieved a small goal.

On March 3, the 31-2022 National Short Track Speed Skating Championship kicked off at the Beijing Capital Stadium. Photo by China News Agency reporter Tomita

Start with the Olympic ice

Starting from "Tianjin", the brothers' goal is naturally "Milan".

"We must practice well to bring better results to Tianjin and our motherland." Liu Shaoang, who has always spoken little, also confided his goal after the game.

Liu Shaolin expressed their goal more specifically – when asked about the Milan Winter Olympics cycle goal, Liu Shaolin said: "That is the first gold medal in the Chinese (men's) relay. ”

As they have done before.

With the Olympics as a point, they made a highly symbolic debut.

The ice surface on which they made their debut this time was the venue for short track speed skating at the Beijing Winter Olympics. On the ice, Liu Shaolin set a new Olympic record in the men's 1500m, while Liu Shaoang won the Olympic gold medal in the men's 500m.

The data picture is Liu Shaoang in the game, photo by China News Agency reporter Tomita

The older brother broke the record and the younger brother won the gold medal. The plot of the past is once again played out at the Capital Stadium.

This also makes the two look forward to the next journey. They all said that in the past year, their energy has been distracted by other tasks and their training has not been systematic enough. Having made their naturalization debut, they "will focus on training and competition."

Get on the podium and start from scratch.

On a new journey, they want to draw a closed loop in the 110-meter ice track – from podium to podium, from Olympic ice to Olympic ice. (End)