Ten athletes will represent Hungary at the upcoming World Championships in Montreal, according to the Magyar Országos Korcsolyázó-szövetség (MOKSZ). The Hungarian team will include Dániel Tiborcz, Bence Nógrádi, Moon Wonjun, Dominik Major, and Balázs Bontovics on the men’s side, and Sára Luca Bácskai, Maja Dóra Somodi, Barbara Somogyi, Rebeka Sziliczei-Német, and Diána Laura Végi for the women. The competition, a key event in the short track speed skating calendar, is set to start Friday and run through Sunday.
Photo: CHEN ZHONGHAO / XINHUA
Why are Liu Shaoang and his brother missing the World Championships?
Notably absent from the Chinese team are two prominent skaters: Liu Shaoang, who won Olympic gold representing Hungary before initiating a nationality change in 2022, and his brother, Liu Shaolin Sándor. The absence of the Liu brothers comes as a surprise to many, as they were previously mainstays of the Chinese short track program.
China’s women’s team roster remains largely unchanged for the Montreal World Championships, but the men’s squad will be without the Liu brothers, as well as Sun Long and Lin Hsiao-chun.Â
Chinese leadership has opted for a youth movement, a decision that has been met with shock and disapproval within the country. Chinese social media has erupted with criticism, with many questioning whether the less experienced skaters will be able to compete effectively in Montreal. Liu Shaoang stated after the Olympic Games that he would remain available to the Chinese national team if he could still contribute, but expressed a need for rest due to physical and mental exhaustion, though he did not indicate at the time that he would skip the World Championships – according to Magyar Nemzet.
