MAKING HISTORY: China's Sun Linlin (left), Wang Meng (second left), Zhou Yang (front right) and Zhang Hui wave the national flag after winning the women's 3000-meter relay final in short-track speed skating at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada, on February 24 (XINHUA)

Team China clocked in a world record time in the women's 3000-meter short-track speed skating relay at the ongoing Vancouver Winter Olympic Games on February 24, winning the country's first Olympic relay gold in short-track speed skating since the sport's debut in 1992.

The result, 4 minutes and 6.610 seconds, broke the Chinese team's own world record of 4:07.179 set in Salt Lake City in October 2008. Canada took the silver and the bronze went to the United States. South Korea crossed the finish line first but was later disqualified for impeding.

The four members, Wang Meng, Zhou Yang, Sun Linlin and Zhang Hui, all between ages 18 and 24, rushed to their head coach Li Yan to celebrate after the dramatic conclusion.

It was Li who raised her right arm to show objection to referees as soon as the match finished.

According to an AFP report, the referees ruled that Kim Min-Jung of South Korea impeded Sun Linlin's path after a handover with six laps to go.

"The first and most important thing is the athletes' mentality - they should keep their minds calm no matter what happens on the field," Li said in a CCTV (China Central Television) interview after the game.

"Bravery is another key to success. Every racer should play proactively and perfectly. We had training on curve techniques every day. They know how to deal with it," she continued.

Born in 1968 in Mudanjiang City, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, where ice and snow sports are popular because winter is so long, Li joined the short-track speed skating national team in 1987.

In 1988, she won a gold medal in the women's 1000-meter and two bronze medals in the 500- and 1500-meter at the 15th Winter Olympic Games in Calgary, Canada, where short-track speed skating was only a demonstration sport.

Li added another silver in women's 500-meter short-track speed skating at the 1992 Albertville Winter Olympics, winning the country's first Olympic medal in short-track speed skating.

After retiring from the national team, Li majored in international finance at Dongbei University of Finance and Economics in 1994.

She coached the Slovakian team in an exchange program in 2001 and served as the U.S. national short-track coach starting in 2003.

One of her career highlights was Apolo Ohno's victory against South Korean rival Ahn Hyun-Soo at the 2006 Turin Winter Olympic Games, winning the country's first men's 500-meter short-track speed skating gold medal.

Li returned to China to coach the Chinese national team in May 2006 as she said she was trained by her home country.

The Vancouver Games had already witnessed her success as a coach when Wang Meng and Zhou Yang claimed women's 500- and 1500-meter gold medals, respectively. The relay gold, the third under her coaching and the fourth for the Chinese team, made her the most medaled coach at one Winter Olympic Games.

"Li has brought some fresh ideas to the team," said Wang Chunlu, vice head of the Chinese national short-track speed skating team and former Olympic short-track speed skating medalist.

"She managed to make innovations in technique and training -- there has been an obvious improvement in the athletes' slide angles and routines. Besides, the equipment such as blades has also improved," Wang said.

"The Chinese short-track speed skating team is a united and progressive team," Li said. "My persistence and personality have remained the same during my four years of coaching in China. I just try my best to do something I'd like to do."