Career
After breaking two junior world records in 2007, he became a candidate for the Chinese national team at the 2008 Olympics after previously having been a backup for the 2012 Summer Olympics. He replaced Zhang Guozheng, the gold medalist in the 69 kg class at the 2004 Summer Olympics. At the 2010 World Weightlifting Championships, Liao placed first and broke the world records for both the clean and jerk and the total in the 69 kg class by lifting 198 kg and 358 kg, respectively.
However, in November 2011, the International Weightlifting Federation announced that Liao had tested positive for the banned substances boldenone and androstatrienedione.
As a result, the IWF subsequently disqualified Liao from the 2010 WWC, revoking his gold medals and invalidating his record breaking lifts. Liao was initially banned from competition until September 30, 2014 but his ban was reduced to September, 2012 because it was a first time offense.
Liao competed for China in the 69 kg class at the 2013 World Weightlifting Championships, winning the gold with the highest snatch, clean and jerk, and total. He set new records in the snatch (166 kg (366 lb)) and total (359 kg (791 lb)) at the 2014 World Weightlifting Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
