Li Jianrou Photo: CFP

 Li Yan, head coach of the Chinese short track speed skating team, told Xinhua that it wasn't just luck when Li Jianrou avoided a crash to win the women's 500 meters gold medal at the Sochi Winter Olympic Games.

"Li has worked so hard on the 500 meters sprint after our favorite in the event, Wang Meng, fell injured less than a month away from the Olympic­ Games," said Li Yan.

"And she's followed smoothly our strategy of not trying to take the lead until the last two laps."

After twice World Championships gold medalist Fan Kexin and bronze medalist Liu Qiuhong failed at their semifinals, Li, a long-course specialist especially at the 1,500 meters, headed into the final as a sole Chinese survivor and won what may have been the easiest competitive race of her life with a time of 45.263 seconds.

Li was staying at back of the track on just the second corner when the race fell to pieces in front of her after an aggressive passing move on the inside by Britain's Elise Christie first took out Italian Arianna Fontana and then South Korean Park Seung-hi.

"I've always believed in myself," said Li Jianrou. "I skated just like I do in my daily training."

"There were too many surprises," added Li Yan. "But that's sports. What we can do is just to try our best."