Liu Shaoang on his blunder in speed skating

In the men’s 500m short track speed skating semifinals at the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics, Liu Shaoang crashed after a mistake and missed out on the A final.

Speaking after the race, Liu said he was disappointed not to come away with a medal. “It feels really tough,” he admitted. “Everyone back home is celebrating the Spring Festival, and of course we also hoped to deliver a good result. Honestly, I felt my mindset was quite steady and my skating was in good shape. In the end, it came down to luck. At the Olympics, it’s never easy to say who will win gold. Our whole team has been working hard.”