Balancing Books and Ice: How Short Trackers Brandon Kim and Justin Liu Chase Academics and Medals

The worlds of high-level academia and world-class speed skating constantly collide, or merge, for U.S. short track skaters Brandon Kim and Justin Liu.

One day, it’s classwork.

Another day, it’s skating.

Often, it’s both on the same day.

Kim, a computer science major at Stanford with an eye on medical school, has had exams administered to him remotely while he’s away training or competing.

Liu, a business major and freshman at the Cal, set up a training bike in his dorm room.

One day, Shane Domer, the high-performance director for US Speedskating, noticed Kim riding a training bike and working on laptop at the same time.

“He had this computer open, and I think he was coding or programming or what-not,” Domer said. “The thing is, he did that in between sessions, or he’d do that on a recovery ride or whatever it may be. But then he’d be ready to go for the primary part of his training. He’s incredible.

“Both of these kids,” Domer added, “if you meet them, they’re just super impressive, high-performing individuals.”

Adding another complication for Kim, 23, and Liu, 19, is that neither has a full-time rink at which to train in the Bay Area, so at least some of their focus — if not their physical presence — is away from campus as they chase their Olympic dreams.

“Over the past three years I’ve been attending university full time, prioritizing my studies while participating in World Cup competitions whenever my schedule allows,” Kim, originally of Fairfax, Virginia, said. “Competing often requires me to miss one to two weeks of classes, so I’ve had to emphasize time management, completing assignments in advance and whenever possible at competitions, and relying on help from my classmates.

“There have even been occasions when I raced World Cup competitions on three hours of sleep, having taken my midterm exam that morning to fit everything in. I’ve had to balance academics and skating since high school, so while it isn’t new to me it’s still a challenge nevertheless.”

Liu, who also crossed the country from his native New Jersey for school, also wound up in London this past fall as part of a program with Cal’s business school. While there, on several occasions he took a three-hour train ride to Nottingham to train with the British National Team.

“I’m in my business program, but I’m also thinking about pursuing a double major in applied math, so I’ve been taking extra classes,” Liu said.

“The biggest thing about that with training is that with a sport like speed skating, it’s hard to find high-level training on ice. There are local clubs. There’s a local club here nearby in California that I’ve stopped by a few times.”

But it’s not the Utah Olympic Oval in Kearns, Utah, which is home to the national team, often hosts World Cup competitions and was the speed skating venue in the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.

Both skaters are hoping to make the U.S. Olympic Team in 2026, and both have watched teammate Kristen Santos-Griswold, who won this season’s ISU Crystal Globe, pursue a graduate degree in physical therapy in a hybrid program at the University of Utah at the same time she chased after a global title.

“She’s constantly here,” Domer said. “She’s working on the side. It’s incredible what she’s pulled off and the level of performance that she’s been able to maintain. Physical therapy school is extremely demanding. It’s a graduate-level program. I’ve been so impressed with her.”

Kim and Liu are also rising U.S. skaters, and both have won relay medals at the ISU Junior World Championships — Kim in 2017 and Liu in 2023. Kim has also won three Bronze medals in relay races in World Cup competition, including this past season in Tilburg, Netherlands, and he teamed up with Andrew Heo, Marcus Howard and Sean Shuai for a fourth-place finish in the Men’s Relay at this year’s World Championships.

When Liu wasn’t in London or Berkeley, California, he competed in the Junior World Championships, finishing ninth in the Men’s 500m, as well as Junior World Cups, with a focused eye on the 2026 Winter Games. He’ll take off the next year from school in order to train for a run at the Olympics.

“I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anything more,” he said.

Both skaters have access to strength and nutritional coaches at US Speedskating in Utah, but training away from the Utah Olympic Oval can be a challenge. Kim was able to gain access to Stanford’s athletic training facilities, although the school does not have a skating program.

“Honestly, he’s been doing a lot of things on his own,” Domer said. “I think he’s taken what works best for him as an athlete, and he’s really using those resources.”

Added Kim: “I believe I’m setting a positive example for skaters attending university who don’t have access to a rink or team practices, demonstrating how it’s possible to balance school and time away from the rink with performing at a high level in competitions. Although USS encourages full commitment to skating, I feel my approach showcases to athletes that they can continue their skating journey through college. I’m incredibly proud to help keep more athletes engaged in the sport.”

Liu can relate. A three-time member of the Junior World Championships team, he was thousands of miles from home trying to make those academic and skating worlds come together.

“Freshman year is hard,” he said. “I think the hardest thing about it is adjusting. Adjusting to the workload, adjusting to how there’s really no one to hold your hand anymore. And Berkeley, I think, is on the deep end of that, too. It’s a big school. It’s very hard to have somebody help you through it all.”

Paul D. Bowker has been writing about Olympic and Paralympic sports since 1996, when he was an assistant bureau chief in Atlanta. He is a freelance contributor to USSpeedskating.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.