Liam O'Brien

Famous relatives

His sister Danielle has represented Australia in figure skating. She and Greg Merriman were ranked 20th in ice dance at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. (SportsDeskOnline, 28 Nov 2016; burwoodscene.com.au, 23 Jul 2014)

Reason for choosing this sport	His sister Danielle was a figure skater, and he followed her into the sport before switching to speed skating. "From the first time I tried speed skating, I knew this was for me. It was just so fast, so thrilling. It was just a lot more exciting. I just love going fast and trying to improve every time I step onto the ice."
When and where did you begin this sport?	He began skating at age six in Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Sporting philosophy / motto	"We're not here to take part. We're here to take over." [Conor McGregor] (isai.ie, 01 Sep 2019)
Hero / Idol	Russian short track skater Victor An. (isai.ie, 01 Sep 2019)

www.facebook.com/liam.obrien.399

Training Regime

He trains in Seongnam, Republic of Korea.

Other information	TRAINING IN KOREA In December 2019 he moved to the Republic of Korea. He had previously had several spells training in the country. "Short track is so big in Korea that at almost every training centre, there are athletes good enough to go to the Olympics. And only three will get the nod in any discipline. For every three skaters that are selected to go to the worlds or Olympics for Korea, there are probably another 100 who are just as good. Someone who wins gold one year could miss out on the team the next. So when you are in that environment with that huge pool of talent, it is only going to bring you on and improve you as a skater. That's why Korea has always been the go-to place." (Instagram profile, 24 Mar 2023; isai.ie, 04 Mar 2023, 09 Aug 2022; extra.ie, 21 Feb 2021; ISU Short Track Facebook page, 11 Apr 2021) AUSTRALIA TO IRELAND He was born in Sydney, NSW, Australia, to Irish parents. He represented Australia in short track before switching to Ireland, and made his debut as a member of the Irish team at the 2021 European Championships in Gdansk, Poland. "It was something that my mum and dad had always talked about, getting us to represent Ireland. Initially, speed skating wasn't part of the federation, but when dad ran into Karen [O'Sullivan, president of the Ice Skating Association of Ireland] in Sydney, she said there were plans to do that. When the opportunity came to represent Ireland, I took it straight away. My parents are so honoured by the fact that I am out there, representing Ireland. Mum has said that she can sleep easily at night now." (rte.ie, 27 Feb 2021; extra.ie, 21 Feb 2021; SportsDeskOnline, 01 Feb 2021; isai.ie, 21 Jan 2021, 15 Dec 2020) EDUCATION SWITCH In 2017 he began studying for a degree in actuarial studies and commerce at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, NSW, Australia. He left the course in 2019 to begin training in the Republic of Korea. In 2020 he began studying Korean language at Dankook University, where he graduated in 2022. (LinkedIn profile, 13 Dec 2022; ISU Short Track Facebook page, 11 Apr 2021)
Injuries	Injuries and a COVID-19 infection affected him during the 2021/22 season. (isai.ie, 09 Aug 2022)
Ambitions	To compete at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina. (Instagram profile, 24 Mar 2023)