China's Li Jianrou (right) competes against South Korea's Shim Suk-hee in the women's short track 3,000 meters relay final in the Sochi Winter Olympic Games on Tuesday. Photo: IC

China were disqualified at the women's short track 3,000 meters relay final of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi on Tuesday.

The defending champions finished second in the race, but were penalized afterward with referees deciding that Zhou Yang, who had finished her laps, had been an obstruction.

Late-surging Shim Suk-hee helped South Korea take the gold medal after overtaking Li Jianrou of China in the ­final lap.

Canada took silver while Italy claimed bronze.

Despite being disqualified, China's coach Li Yan remained calm.

"This was a competition at the ­Olympic Games, we just accepted it, with calmness," Li Yan said after the ­final.

"I don't think Zhou was an obstruction … What really mattered was our control on the course.

"In the final stage we had some blunders, we messed up in tactics. Fan Kexin was supposed to finish the game but it was Li Jianrou who finished it."

Fan was supposed to skate two and a half laps and then make a changeover but Fan made the changeover when she had just finished two laps.

Fan, 20, said she put too much pressure on herself which resulted in the blunder.

"Nobody put too much pressure on me except myself which led to the blunder. The result is set so now we have to focus on the 1,000 meters final," Fan said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Li Jianrou and Fan Kexin both qualified for the ­women's 1,000 meters quarterfinals which were set to take place on Friday. Another participant, Liu Qiuhong, was disqualified in the heat.

Yang Yang, a former Chinese short track speed skater and current IOC member, was optimistic about the ­Chinese women's performance.

"It was really impressive to me when I saw them overtaking confidently after being left behind during the race. Previously we didn't have much confidence in the same situation," Yang said.

In other short track speed skating events on Tuesday, all three Chinese skaters - Liang Wenhao, Han Tianyu and Wu Dajing - qualified for the men's 500 meters quarterfinals which will be held on the same day as the women's 1,000 meters quarterfinals.

Global Times