Photo: David W. Carmichael / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Liu Yan carries the particular loneliness I associate with figure skating, the years of solitary repetition behind every fleeting performance. A five-time Chinese national champion who placed 11th at the Turin Olympics, she shouldered her country's expectations on the ice for a long stretch, which is no small feat. What interests me most is her second and third acts: turning to coaching and even acting suggests a deep, restless appetite for expression that the ice alone couldn't satisfy. The physical eloquence she built skating surely feeds her performances now. I admire athletes who keep reinventing themselves, and her willingness to mentor the next generation feels especially graceful.
Overview
Liu Yan (simplified Chinese: 刘艳; traditional Chinese: 劉艷; pinyin: Liú Yàn; born August 30, 1984, in Qiqihar, Heilongjiang) is a Chinese former competitive figure skater. She is the 2005 Karl Schäfer Memorial champion, the 2005 Winter Universiade bronze medalist, the 2009 Nebelhorn Trophy bronze medalist, and a five-time (2005, 2007–2010) Chinese national champion. She placed 11th at the 2006 Winter Olympics.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Liu Yan
- Name (Japanese)
- 劉艶
- Reading
- りゅう・えん
- Born
- August 30, 1984 (age 41)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Virgo / Rat
- Origin
- Qiqihar, People's Republic of China
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 164 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- actor / figure skater / figure skating coach
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%8A%89%E8%89%B6
Actor — see all → · Figure skater — see all → · More people from People's Republic of China →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.