Li grabs 1st gold for China in Sochi

By Global Times – AFP Source:Global Times - AFP Published: 2014-2-14 0:28:03

Chinese speed skater Li Jianrou celebrates after winning the gold medal in the women’s 500-meter short track speed skating at the Iceberg Skating Palace during the 2014 Sochi Winter Games on Thursday. It was the first gold won by China at the Sochi Games. China had won two golds at Sochi as of press time. Photo: AFP


China's veteran short track speed skater Li Jianrou ­avoided an early pileup on Thursday to cruise into victory in the ­women's 500 ­meters final, grabbing the first gold medal for China in Sochi.

The 27-year-old Li ­finished her first Olympic final in 45.263 seconds, nearly 6 ­seconds ahead of second-placed ­Arianna Fontana of Italy. South Korean Park Seung-hi took bronze.

Britain's Elise Christie was judged to be the one who caused the crash, and was disqualified.

"I believe it's a miracle," five-time world champion Li told ­reporters.

"I always believe in ­myself. I'm lucky to get this gold ­medal."

Since Yang Yang, currently an  IOC member, seized the gold medal at the same event at the Salt Lake City Winter ­Olympic Games in 2002, ­China have never ­relinquished the top spot.

"I think I was the least ­nervous one among the ­finalists, I was really lucky," ­admitted Li, who doesn't consider the 500 meters short track race to be her strong point.

"The 500-meter race isn't my strong point, so I just thought about the final and aimed to just challenge the others.

"As a long distance racer, I aimed to surge during the later laps, so I didn't skate with my full power at the beginning."

Li also indicated her helmet number 111 perhaps brought some luck to her.

"I don't know if it is right to believe this. Wang Meng told me that her number at her first Olympic Games was also three ones," Li said.

Wang won the women's 500 meters short track race at the 2006 Turin Games.

Li took up the sport at the age of 10, but she was chosen for the national team when she was aged 21.

"My career hasn't been as plain as people thought. I just did not think too much on the hard times. But to my mind, I've just done things simply," an emotional Li told CCTV.

Li, participated in the ­Sochi Games as a substitute for Wang, who couldn't make the journey after picking up an ankle fracture during training in Shanghai last month.

Three Chinese female ­skaters qualified for the semifinals earlier, but the two gold medal favorites, Liu Qiuhong and Fan Kexin, crashed out.

Liu and Fan took the first two in the Final B, a race to rank fifth to eighth place.

Thursday also saw the Chinese men's short track team qualify for the men's 5,000 ­meters relay final, which will be played next week.

Global Times - AFP

Posted in: Olympics

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