For years after the accident, Liu Zixu would leave the room when someone brought out a camera. A car crash in 2008 cost him his left leg at age 11. The same year Beijing hosted the Summer Olympics. He didn't want his photo taken.

He just won his third Winter Paralympic gold medal in Milan. He's 28 now. When the cameras showed up at the podium, he smiled.

From Archery to Snow

Liu's athletic path started with archery in 2013. He joined a para-archery team in Shaanxi Province in northwest China. "It took me half a year to fall in love with archery with their guidance and help," he said in an interview before the 2026 Games.

He trained for four years. Archery taught him the calm competitive mindset he'd carry to winter sports later. You line up the shot. You control your breathing. You release. The result is what it is.

In 2017, Liu switched to para cross-country skiing and para biathlon. He moved northeast to Heilongjiang Province for training. The sports are related but different. Cross-country skiing is pure speed and endurance. Biathlon adds shooting. You ski hard, your heart rate spikes, then you stop and try to hit targets with a rifle while your body is still screaming for oxygen.

Beijing 2022: China's First Winter Paralympic Gold

Liu arrived at the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics as a relatively unknown athlete. He left with China's first gold medal of those Games and the country's first-ever individual gold at a Winter Paralympics.

He won the sitting biathlon event. It wasn't just a personal milestone. It was the first time China had won gold in a snow event at the Winter Paralympics. The country had competed in Winter Games before, but always finished outside the medals in Nordic and alpine events.

Liu's gold in Beijing changed that.

Milan 2026: Injured and Still Winning

Liu came to Milan-Cortina with a recurrence of an old shoulder injury and cold symptoms. His team had prepared intensely. They trained at high altitude in Inner Mongolia, around 1,800 meters, to build endurance. They brought in two foreign ski technicians who adjusted wax on Liu's skis according to changing snow temperatures and conditions.

He won the biathlon 12.5km sitting gold in 34 minutes 38.1 seconds.

Then came the para cross-country sprint sitting event. Liu was eliminated in the semifinal round. That should have been the end of his race. But his opponent committed a foul during the semis, so Liu qualified for the final anyway.

In the final, he clocked 2:28.9 and beat Brazil's Cristian Westemaier Ribera by 0.7 seconds.

"I don't even have time for adjusting my mindset," Liu said after the race. "It's like riding a roller coaster and the result is so amazing."

He became the first Chinese athlete to win golds in two major events at the same Winter Games. His career total: three Winter Paralympic golds.

What It Takes

Liu credits his competitors and teammates for his development. "I always learn from my opponents and teammates," he said. It's a practical statement, not false modesty. In a small sport like para Nordic skiing, the athletes who race against each other also train near each other, watch each other's technique, and talk after races about what worked.

Before the 2026 Games, Liu said he was focused on pushing his limits. "After training and technical and tactical accumulation, I hope to push my limits for a better result at these Games."

He did exactly that. An injured shoulder, cold symptoms, and a sprint semifinal elimination didn't stop him from collecting two more golds.

The Boy Who Avoided Cameras

The arc from 2008 to 2026 is 18 years. A car accident at 11. Para-archery at 16. Winter sports at 20. First Paralympic gold at 24. Two more golds at 28.

Somewhere along the way, Liu stopped leaving the room when cameras appeared. The transformation didn't happen because of the medals. The medals happened because of the transformation. Four years of archery taught him how to compete under pressure. Nine years of winter sports taught him how to race injured and still win.

The boy who didn't want his photo taken is now the guy at the top of the podium smiling.

FAQ

What sports does Liu Zixu compete in?

Liu competes in para biathlon and para cross-country skiing, both in the sitting classification. Biathlon combines cross-country skiing with rifle shooting. Cross-country skiing is pure endurance racing on snow.

How many Paralympic medals does Liu Zixu have?

Liu has three Paralympic gold medals: one from Beijing 2022 (biathlon sitting) and two from Milan-Cortina 2026 (biathlon 12.5km sitting and cross-country sprint sitting).

What was Liu Zixu's first sport after his accident?

Liu started with para-archery in 2013, five years after his accident. He trained in archery for four years before switching to winter sports in 2017.

What happened in Liu's sprint semifinal at the 2026 Paralympics?

Liu was eliminated in the semifinal round but qualified for the final because his opponent committed a foul during the race. He went on to win gold in the final by 0.7 seconds.

Why is Liu Zixu's Beijing 2022 gold significant?

Liu's biathlon gold was China's first medal of the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics, China's first-ever gold in a snow event at the Winter Paralympics, and the first individual Winter Paralympic gold in the country's history.

Where does Liu Zixu train?

Liu trains in Heilongjiang Province in northeast China. Before the 2026 Games, his team trained at high altitude in Inner Mongolia (around 1,800 meters) to build endurance for the Milan races.