China’s Li Jianrou (right) competes in the women’s 500 metres short track speed skating final event on her way to win at the Iceberg Skating Palace. (Reuters)
Li Jianrou avoided an early pile-up to coast to victory in the women’s 500 metres short track speed skating yesterday, extending China’s winning streak at the distance to a fourth Winter Games.
In a heart-thumping race, the 27-year-old first-time Olympian eased home after her rivals collided, sliding into the boards on the second turn of the all-out sprint.
“It’s a miracle,” an ecstatic Li told reporters. “I always believe in myself, I skated like I do in my daily training. I’m lucky to get this gold medal.”
Italy’s Arianna Fontana took silver and Park Seung-hi of South Korea bronze after Elise Christie of Britain had crossed the line second. Christie was disqualified for causing the crash.
“I’m very sad. I did everything I could,” Christie told reporters. “I didn’t want to be in third position and get passed at the end. “I tried to win the race ... I tried to pass and got bumped by the girl on the outside (Fontana).”
“It was a 50/50 call, but everyone has different opinions,” she told the BBC. “There was a little gap and I knew I had more speed at that point. I used my instinct and went for it. Now I am regretting it.
The 23-year-old said she will now try to regain her focus for the 1,000m - her main event - when she has another shot at becoming Britain’s first gold medallist in short track.
“I still have almost a week before my main competition, but I will need at least a day to get over it,” she said.
China’s gold-medal favourite Fan Kexin had failed to qualify for the A final, adding to the nation’s disappointment after the absence from Sochi, due to injury, of four-times Olympic champion Wang Meng.
Canada’s Marianne St-Gelais, who won silver in Vancouver behind Wang four years ago, missed out on the medal race after remaining in third.