According to MOKSZ’s information on Tuesday, the two short-track speed skaters did not name which country they wish to continue their careers for, and
to MOKSZ, not a single national association formally or informally indicated a need to obtain the right of athletes to compete.
In its announcement, MOKSZ reminds that according to the rules of the International Skating Union (ISU). there are several conditions for a competitor to participate in an ISU competition for a country:
- the nationality of the country in which the competitor wishes to compete;
- if he was previously a competitor of another country, 12 months must have passed since the last ISU competition in which he competed on behalf of the former country;
- the athlete’s release must be decided by the federation of the original country on the basis of the request, provided that all possible contractual disputes between the federation and the athlete must be settled.
The Liu brothers announced in August that they would be preparing for the season in China, following their Chinese coach Lina Zhang Ching, who left the Hungarian national team.
“The Liu brothers wrote themselves into Hungarian sports history as Hungarian competitors. They won countless competitions in Hungarian colors, they played a crucial part in winning the first Hungarian Winter Olympic gold in the relay, and Ádó is our first individual Winter Olympic winner. We will be forever grateful to them for that.”
– highlighted the Hungarian association.
After the Beijing Olympics, the Liu brothers indicated that they would definitely like to continue to prepare under the guidance of Zhang Jing Lina, the head coach of the national team – MOKSZ added, adding, “unfortunately, with Lina, at her request, we had to terminate her indefinite-term contract, considering that he received an irresistible offer from the federation of his country, China, for the position of head coach of the Chinese speed skating team.”
As it was written, in the past period, MOKSZ ensured the conditions for the training of the Liu brothers with the Chinese national team and Lina in Beijing, this work was also assisted by Jae Su Chun, the Korean coach of our national team, on behalf of MOKSZ. This solution did not prove suitable for the brothers.
At its next board meeting, MOKSZ will decide how to settle the contractual relationship between the brothers and MOKSZ, the Hungarian association added.
The 26-year-old Liu Shaolin Sándor, in addition to the five-ring gold and bronze, won twice at the World Cup and six times at the European Championships. His younger brother, Liu Shaoang, who is two years younger, also born in Budapest, won two gold and two bronze medals at the Olympics, and is also a six-time world and four-time European champion.
