Li is a left-handed pitcher, which the China Times said made her pitches hard for batters to hit.[2] Her pitches could reach up to 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph).[2] She pitched at the 2002 Asian Games softball competition.[3] Li competed for the Chinese team in the 2004 Olympic softball competition, where they finished fourth.[4][5] The Shanghai Morning Post in 2005 said, "Li Qi is currently recognized as one of the best pitchers in China after Wang Lihong."[6] Like the other Chinese women's softball players on her team, Li made a monthly income of ¥1,000 (US$125) in 2006 so needed to be frugal according to the Yangtse Evening Post. The team had a yearly training camp at Haigeng (Chinese: 海埂) in Jinning, Kunming. When each training session ended, Li would ask her Beijing teammates to visit market stalls outside the Temple of Heaven to purchase pairs of softball socks for ¥5 ($1) each on the grey market. Before saying goodbye to them, she would always remind them, "Don't forget to bargain."[7]
Li pitched in the 2008 Olympic softball competition. By striking out 10 batters, she had the third most strikeouts at the Olympics (an American pitcher and a Canadian pitchers ranked before her). Her earned run average (ERA) ranked fifth during the Olympics. Of all Chinese players at the time, she had the smallest ERA.[4] The team finished in sixth place. For her performance during the Olympics, the city of Dalian awarded her a bonus of ¥40,000 ($5,017).[8] Several Japanese softball teams asked her to become a member of their team when she was still on the China women's national softball team but she declined.[9]
^ abcZheng, Yi 鄭毅 (2013-07-18). "海峽盃女壘賽 地主中市奪冠" [Straits Cup Women's Softball Tournament. Host Taichung wins the championship]. China Times (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2024-01-20. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
^"正视差距来日方长───写在中日女垒比赛之后" [Facing the gap, the future will be long───Written after the China-Japan women’s softball game]. People's Daily (in Chinese). 2002-10-05.
^ abYan, Ruyu 顏如玉 (2017-11-21). "亞錦女壘/2屆奧運國手李琪領軍中國 聯手王蘭飆球速" [Asian Women's Softball Championship/Two-time Olympic national player Li Qi leads China and joins forces with Wang Lan to increase ball speed]. ETtoday (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2024-01-20. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
^Sun, Jiahui 孙嘉晖 (2007-07-18). "垒球世界杯昨落幕中国队再获第4名" [The Softball World Cup ended yesterday and the Chinese team finished fourth again]. Guangzhou Daily (in Chinese).
^"【中国棒垒球何去何从·调查】 "奥运出局"引发连锁反应女垒拟办联赛自救男棒面临人才流失" [[Where will China's baseball and softball go? Survey] "Olympic exit" triggered a chain reaction. Women's baseball team plans to organise a self-help league. Men's baseball team faces brain drain.]. Shanghai Morning Post (in Chinese). 2005-07-18.
^"中國女壘「窮」得有精神" [Chinese women's baseball team is "poor" but has spirit]. Yangtse Evening Post (in Chinese). 2006-09-05.
^"大连市重奖奥运英雄 其中银牌和铜牌获得者分别奖励20万元和15万元" [Dalian heavily awards Olympic heroes, with silver and bronze medalists awarded 200,000 yuan and 150,000 yuan respectively.]. Peninsula Morning Post [zh] (in Chinese). 2008-09-13.
^ ab"《海峽盃女壘賽》東北豪速女 李琪記熟台灣地名" ["Strait Cup Women's Softball Tournament" Northeastern's fast girl Li Qi knows the names of places in Taiwan]. LTSports (in Chinese). 2010-12-10. Archived from the original on 2024-01-20. Retrieved 2024-01-20 – via Yahoo! News.
^Zhang, Su 张素 (2014-10-02). "仁川亚运会:中国女子垒球队何时能"回归"?" [Incheon Asian Games: When will the Chinese women's softball team "return"?] (in Chinese). China News Service. Archived from the original on 2024-01-20. Retrieved 2024-01-20 – via Sohu.
^Yan, Ruyu 顏如玉 (2017-11-21). "世錦女壘/中國砸大錢2度赴美移訓 老牌投手王蘭領軍" [Women's Softball World Championship/China spends a lot of money to move to the United States for training for the second time, veteran pitcher Wang Lan leads the way]. ETtoday (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2024-01-20. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
^Liu, Xiu 刘续 (2017-09-01). "女子垒球——循环赛:北京队胜四川队" [Women's Softball - Round Robin: Beijing Team Defeats Sichuan Team] (in Chinese). Xinhua News Agency. Archived from the original on 2024-01-20. Retrieved 2024-01-20.