China wins first two gold medals at Sochi Olympics

Li Jianrou claimed China's first gold medal in the Sochi Winter Olympic Games on Thursday as she won the women's 500m short track speed skating final which saw the other three skaters crash at the beginning. (Xinhua)

Zhang Hong won China's first ever Olympic speed skating gold medal as she claimed the women's 1,000m title on Thursday.

China has won its first two gold medals at the Sochi Olympics. Zhang Hong won the 1,000 meter women's speed skating finals shortly after short track speed skater Li Jianrou claimed China's first gold medal.

Li triumphed in the women's 500 meters, after all the other competitors crashed. The 27-year-old started from the outermost lane and was quickly distanced, before pace-setter Park Seung-Hi of South Korea was caught in a clash between Britain's Elise Christie and Arianna Fontanna of Italy at the first bend.

Li won the race unopposed with a time of 45.263 seconds, far from the Olympic record of 42.985 held by her injured team-mate Wang Meng. Fontanna, who won bronze in 2010, took the silver after recovering from a fall, and Park had to settle for the bronze.