Li Yan's name will go down in history as one of the greatest short track speed skating coaches of all time. She led Chinese athletes to win all four gold medals in the women's events at the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games. No other country has ever achieved such a success in Winter Olympics history.

Li, 41, began to serve as head coach of the Chinese team in May 2006 after most star skaters of the team had retired. Before that, she coached the U.S. team and helped Apolo Anton Ohno win an Olympic title in the men's 500-meter event in Turin, Italy, in 2006.

Li brought new concepts to the Chinese team in training method, technique, game tactics and other areas. Though her athletes, including Olympic champion Wang Meng, complained a lot about the changes, Li gradually convinced them through the effects of her work.

Since the 2008-09 season, China's women skaters have established an edge in the sport. Wang's performance at the Vancouver games in clinching three gold medals, including one in the 3,000-meter relay event that had been monopolized by the South Korean team for 18 years, also showed Li's achievements.

Before starting her coaching career, Li was one of the most prominent skaters of her time. She won a gold and two silver medals at the Calgary Winter Olympics in 1988 when speed skating was a demonstration sport. Four years later, she became China's first Winter Olympics medallist in Albertville, France, taking silver in the 500-meter event. Li retired in 1995.