Sport
China’s Li wins a ‘miracle’ gold
China’s Li wins a ‘miracle’ gold
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)
Reuters/Sochi, Russia
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.