Shen Xue

Shen Xue (Chinese: 申雪; pinyin: Shēn Xuě; born 13 November 1978) is a Chinese retired pair skater. She skated with her husband Zhao Hongbo and together they achieved many amazing victories. They won the gold medal at the 2010 Olympic Games and earned bronze medals in 2002 and 2006.

Shen and Zhao also claimed three World Championship titles in 2002, 2003, and 2007. They were the first Chinese pair skaters to win a medal at an International Skating Union event and at the World Figure Skating Championships. Their success helped end a long period where Russian and Soviet teams had dominated pair skating at the Winter Olympics. In 2010, they made history by becoming the first Chinese skaters to win gold in any figure skating event at the Winter Olympic Games.

Personal life

Shen was born in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, China. She and her skating partner, Zhao Hongbo, got engaged after the 2007 World Figure Skating Championships and married in 2007. They had a special wedding ceremony on ice in Beijing in 2010, with many people watching.

Shen and Zhao have a daughter who was born on September 3, 2013. In December 2017, Shen became the President of the Chinese Skating Association.

Career

Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo started skating together in 1992, with coach Yao Bin. They competed in their first Olympics in [/wiki/1998_Winter_Olympics], in Nagano, Japan, finishing fifth. A year later, at the 1999 World Figure Skating Championships, they won the silver medal, becoming the first Chinese team to win a World Championship medal.

They kept improving each year and became one of the top teams in the world. They won another silver medal at the Worlds in 2000 and a bronze in 2001. In the 2002 Winter Olympics, they won the bronze medal, becoming the first Chinese pair to win an Olympic medal in figure skating.

At the 2002 World Figure Skating Championships in Nagano, Japan, they won their first World Championship gold medal, the first for Chinese pair skaters. They won their second World Championship in Washington D.C., United States, in 2003.

In the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Italy, they won a second Olympic bronze medal despite limited preparation time due to injuries.

They won their third World title at the 2007 World Figure Skating Championships in Tokyo, Japan, and then retired from competition.

They returned for the 2010 Winter Olympics and won the gold medal, becoming the first Chinese skaters to win Olympic gold in figure skating. After the Olympics, they retired for good to focus on their personal life and coaching.

List of world record scores set by Shen/Zhao

Public life and endorsements

Shen and Zhao have had many sponsors, including Nike, Visa, General Electric, and Lenovo. They have performed in many ice shows around the world. These shows include the 2007 Golden Skate Awards in Turin, Italy, the 2008 and 2010 Stars on Ice in the United States, and the 2009 Ice All Stars in Seoul, South Korea. Other famous skaters like the 2010 Olympic ladies champion, Yuna Kim, Michelle Kwan, and Stéphane Lambiel have also performed in these shows.

Programs

Competitive highlights

(With Zhao)

Detailed results