1. Overview
Shen Duo (沈铎Shēn DuōChinese; born 9 June 1997) is a Chinese competitive swimmer specializing in sprint freestyle events. Regarded as a highly promising talent in international swimming, Shen Duo achieved significant success early in her career, notably securing five gold medals and breaking three world junior records at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics in Nanjing. Her impressive performances continued at the Asian Games and FINA World Aquatics Championships, where she earned multiple gold, silver, and bronze medals. However, her career has also been marked by controversy, including an alleged assault incident involving a South Korean swimmer at the 2018 Asian Games, which led to a formal investigation request by the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee.
2. Early Life and Background
Shen Duo was born on 9 June 1997, in Liyang, China. She stands at 5.9 ft (1.81 m) tall and weighs 159 lb (72 kg). At the age of 13, Shen Duo was promoted to the Jiangsu Provincial Swim Team under the guidance of then-Head Coach Ron Turner, who played a key role in developing her into one of China's leading youth swimmers.
3. Career
Shen Duo's swimming career has been characterized by notable achievements across various international competitions, including the Youth Olympics, Asian Games, and World Championships.
3.1. Youth Career and Breakthrough
Shen Duo's breakthrough came at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics, which were hosted in her home city of Nanjing. At this event, she achieved remarkable success, winning five gold medals and establishing herself as a formidable talent on the global stage. She broke three world junior records during the competition.
Shen Duo contributed to two world junior records in relays: the mixed 4×100 m freestyle relay with a time of 3:27.02, and the girls' 4×100 m medley relay with a time of 4:03.58. Two days later, she further solidified her presence by setting another world junior record in the 100 m freestyle with a time of 53.84, which also elevated her to thirteenth in the global rankings for the event. On August 20, Shen Duo secured her fourth gold medal of the meet in the 200 m freestyle, finishing with a personal best of 1:56.12. In the girls' 4×100 m freestyle relay, Shen Duo delivered a dominant 53.59 split on her leg, contributing to her team's victory in 3:41.19. For her exceptional performance at the Youth Olympics, Shen Duo was nominated for the Breakthrough of the Year Award at the 2015 Laureus World Sports Awards in Shanghai.
3.2. Asian Games Achievements
Shen Duo continued her success at the Asian Games, accumulating several medals across multiple editions.
At the 2014 Asian Games held in Incheon, South Korea, Shen Duo secured four gold medals. On the opening day, she posted a 53.58 split on the second leg of the women's 4×100 m freestyle relay, helping the Chinese team to a victory with a time of 3:37.25. In the women's 100 m freestyle, she won gold by defeating her teammate and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Tang Yi by a narrow margin of 0.08 seconds, achieving a time of 54.37. Shen Duo further demonstrated her dominance by delivering a 2:00.60 anchor-leg split in the women's 4×200 m freestyle relay, leading the Chinese foursome to another relay victory in 7:55.17. Her fourth gold medal in Incheon came in the women's 200 m freestyle, where she finished with a time of 1:57.66.
At the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, Shen Duo added another gold medal to her collection as part of the women's 4×200 m freestyle relay team.
3.3. World Championships Achievements
Shen Duo has also competed and achieved significant results at the FINA World Aquatics Championships, both in long course and short course formats.
At the 2014 FINA World Championships (short course) in Doha, she earned a silver medal in the women's 4×200 m freestyle relay.
In the 2015 FINA World Championships (long course) in Kazan, Russia, Shen Duo secured a bronze medal in the women's 4×200 m freestyle relay with a combined team time of 7:49.10. She then anchored the women's 4×100 m medley relay, delivering a 53.00 freestyle split to help the team, including Fu Yuanhui, Shi Jinglin, and Lu Ying, win the gold medal with a time of 3:54.41. This time was just over two seconds shy of the meet record set by her team in 2009.
She later earned a silver medal in the women's 4×200 m freestyle relay at the 2017 FINA World Championships (long course) in Budapest.
4. Personal Bests
The following table lists Shen Duo's personal best times in long course events, updated as of September 30, 2014.
| Event | Time | Meet | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 m freestyle | 53.84 | 2014 Summer Youth Olympics | August 18, 2014 |
| 200 m freestyle | 1:56.12 | 2014 Summer Youth Olympics | August 20, 2014 |
5. Controversy
During the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, a significant controversy arose involving Shen Duo and a South Korean swimmer. The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) formally lodged a complaint with the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), requesting an investigation into an alleged assault by Shen Duo on South Korean swimmer Kim Hye-jin on August 24, 2018.
According to the claims made by KSOC, the incident occurred when Kim Hye-jin was swimming in front of Shen Duo and unintentionally kicked her in the chest. Although Kim Hye-jin immediately apologized for the accidental contact, Shen Duo reportedly pursued Kim Hye-jin to the end of the lane. There, Shen Duo allegedly pulled Kim Hye-jin underwater by her ankles and proceeded to kick her twice in the abdomen. This serious allegation prompted the official complaint from the Korean Olympic Committee, highlighting concerns over sportsmanship and athlete conduct at a major international event.