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Tom SHIELDS
Sport Swimming
NOC United States   
GenderMen
Born11 Jul 1991 in Panama City, FL, USA
Height1.91 m
 Human Interest 
Further Personal Information
Residence
 Berkeley, CA, USA
Sport Specific Information
Club / Team
 California Aquatics: United States
Further Personal Information
Higher education
 Religious Studies - University of California, Berkeley: United States
Sport Specific Information
Why this sport?
 To learn to swim and be safe in pools.
General Interest
Hero / Idol
 US skateboarder Rodney Mullen, US surfers Kelly Slater and Shawn Barron. (insideswim.com, 2016)
Awards and honours
 He was named the 2012 National Collegiate Athletic Association [NCAA] Swimmer of the Year. (beefytshields.com, 02 Nov 2015)

He was named the 2009 National High School Swimmer of the Year. (calbears.com, 2013)
Sport Specific Information
Name of coach
 Dave Durden [club]
When and where did you begin this sport?
 He began swimming at age three and began swimming competitively at age eight.
Further Personal Information
Occupation
 Athlete
Languages
 English
Family
 Wife Gianna
General Interest
Other information
 MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
In December 2019 he revealed that he had tried to commit suicide in 2018. He says a combination of a lack of sleep and heavy training had intensified his depression in the lead-up to the incident. He credits his wife Gianna for saving him. "If [Gianna] didn't miraculously turn around and come home from her commute I wouldn't be alive today. She called me out of the blue at a time I normally wouldn't be reachable, and distracted me until she got back." He says he decided to go public with his story in an effort to help others who might be in the same situation. "This was not a cry for help. It was more about sharing my experience with it and de-stigmatising mental health issues. I wish I was mature enough to say I needed help. I don't think I am changing the world, I just wanted to share what I went through." (olympics.nbcsports.com, 03 Jan 2020; swimmingworldmagazine.com, 05 Jan 2020)

 Competition Highlights
Olympic Games
Rank Year Venue Event Result
15 2021 Tokyo, JPN 100m Butterfly 51.99
  2021 Tokyo, JPN 4 x 100m Medley Relay  
5 2021 Tokyo, JPN 4 x 100m Medley Relay 3:40.58
Heats 2016 Rio de Janeiro, BRA 200m Butterfly 1:56.93
7 2016 Rio de Janeiro, BRA 100m Butterfly 51.73
1 2016 Rio de Janeiro, BRA 4 x 100m Medley Relay  
World Championships
Rank Year Venue Event Result
8 2015 Kazan, RUS 200m Butterfly 1:56.17
4 2015 Kazan, RUS 100m Butterfly 51.06
1 2015 Kazan, RUS 4 x 100m Medley Relay 3:29.93
World Championships Short Course
Rank Year Venue Event Result
7 2021 Abu Dhabi, UAE 50m Butterfly 22.42
6 2021 Abu Dhabi, UAE 100m Butterfly 49.80
4 2021 Abu Dhabi, UAE 4 x 50m Freestyle Relay  
1 2021 Abu Dhabi, UAE 4 x 50m Medley Relay 1:30.51
3 2021 Abu Dhabi, UAE 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay  
2 2016 Windsor, ON, CAN 200m Butterfly 1:49.50
2 2016 Windsor, ON, CAN 100m Butterfly 49.04
2 2016 Windsor, ON, CAN 50m Butterfly 22.40 
3 2016 Windsor, ON, CAN 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay 3:07.76
8 2016 Windsor, ON, CAN 4 x 100m Medley Relay DSQ
1 2016 Windsor, ON, CAN 4 x 50m Medley Relay 1:37.22
2 2016 Windsor, ON, CAN 4 x 50m Medley Relay 1:31.97
2 2016 Windsor, ON, CAN 4 x 50m Freestyle Relay 1:24.47
4 2014 Doha, QAT 200m Butterfly 1:50.68
Heats 2014 Doha, QAT 100m Individual Medley  DNS
2 2014 Doha, QAT 100m Butterfly 48.99
5 2014 Doha, QAT 50m Butterfly 22.57
3 2014 Doha, QAT 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay 3:05.58
2 2014 Doha, QAT 4 x 50m Freestyle Relay 1:23.47
2 2014 Doha, QAT 4 x 100m Medley Relay 3:21.49
3 2014 Doha, QAT 4 x 50m Medley Relay 1:31.83
2 2012 Istanbul, TUR 100m Butterfly 49.54
3 2012 Istanbul, TUR 50m Butterfly 22.46
1 2012 Istanbul, TUR 4 x 100m Medley Relay 3:21.03
Pan American Games
Rank Year Venue Event Result
8 2019 Lima, PER 200m Butterfly 2:06.65
1 2019 Lima, PER 100m Butterfly 51.59
8 2019 Lima, PER 4 x 100m Medley Relay  DSQ
1 2019 Lima, PER 4 x 100m Medley Relay 3:30.25
World Cup
Rank Year Venue Event Result
4 2022 Berlin, GER 100m Butterfly 49.96
6 2022 Berlin, GER 50m Butterfly 22.50
2 2021   Overall Ranking  
1 2021 Berlin, GER 100m Butterfly 48.67
2 2021 Berlin, GER 200m Butterfly 1:50.51
1 2021 Berlin, GER 50m Butterfly 22.09
1 2021 Budapest, HUN 100m Butterfly 48.83
1 2021 Budapest, HUN 100m Backstroke 50.50
1 2021 Budapest, HUN 200m Butterfly 1:51.18
1 2021 Budapest, HUN 50m Butterfly 21.99
1 2021 Doha, QAT 100m Butterfly 49.46
3 2021 Doha, QAT 200m Butterfly 1:53.11
2 2021 Doha, QAT 100m Backstroke 51.12
1 2021 Doha, QAT 50m Butterfly 22.22
1 2021 Kazan, RUS 100m Butterfly 49.20
1 2021 Kazan, RUS 200m Butterfly 1:52.42
2 2021 Kazan, RUS 50m Butterfly 22.19
4 2017   Overall  
7 2017 Beijing, CHN 100m Butterfly 52.67
5 2017 Berlin, GER 100m Freestyle 46.58
4 2017 Berlin, GER 50m Butterfly 22.67
2 2017 Berlin, GER 200m Butterfly 1:49.26
2 2017 Doha, QAT 200m Butterfly 1:49.86
3 2017 Doha, QAT 100m Individual Medley 53.21
3 2017 Doha, QAT 50m Butterfly 23.04
2 2017 Doha, QAT 100m Butterfly 50.30
2 2017 Doha, QAT 200m Freestyle 1:45.02
4 2017 Doha, QAT 50m Backstroke 23.73
8 2017 Eindhoven, NED 100m Freestyle 47.95
2 2017 Eindhoven, NED 200m Butterfly 1:49.29
3 2017 Eindhoven, NED 100m Butterfly 49.70
1 2017 Hong Kong, CHN 200m Butterfly 1:49.62
3 2017 Hong Kong, CHN 100m Individual Medley 52.85
2 2017 Hong Kong, CHN 50m Butterfly 22.99
2 2017 Hong Kong, CHN 100m Butterfly 50.82
3 2017 Hong Kong, CHN 200m Backstroke 1:52.51
2 2017 Hong Kong, CHN 200m Freestyle 1:43.58
3 2017 Moscow, RUS 100m Butterfly 49.55
3 2017 Moscow, RUS 50m Butterfly 22.60
3 2014   Overall  
2 2014 Doha, QAT 100m Butterfly 49.23
1 2014 Doha, QAT 200m Butterfly 1:50.08
2 2014 Doha, QAT 50m Butterfly 22.63
2 2014 Doha, QAT 200m Backstroke 1:51.40
1 2014 Dubai, UAE 200m Butterfly 1:50.19
2 2014 Dubai, UAE 50m Butterfly 22.51
2 2014 Dubai, UAE 100m Individual Medley 52.14
2 2014 Dubai, UAE 100m Butterfly 49.00
2 2014 Dubai, UAE 200m Backstroke 1:51.92
2 2014 Hong Kong, CHN 100m Freestyle 47.80
1 2014 Hong Kong, CHN 200m Butterfly 1:50.56
2 2014 Hong Kong, CHN 50m Butterfly 22.69
1 2014 Hong Kong, CHN 100m Individual Medley 52.51
2 2014 Hong Kong, CHN 100m Butterfly 49.02
1 2014 Hong Kong, CHN 200m Backstroke 1:51.88
3 2014 Moscow, RUS 100m Freestyle 47.35
2 2014 Moscow, RUS 100m Backstroke 51.04
2 2014 Moscow, RUS 200m Butterfly 1:51.61
3 2014 Moscow, RUS 50m Butterfly 22.72
1 2014 Moscow, RUS 100m Individual Medley 53.53
2 2014 Moscow, RUS 100m Butterfly 49.32
3 2014 Moscow, RUS 50m Backstroke 23.83
7 2013   Overall  
3 2013 Beijing, CHN 50m Butterfly 22.78
2 2013 Beijing, CHN 100m Butterfly 49.45
3 2013 Beijing, CHN 100m Backstroke 50.52
4 2013 Berlin, GER 200m Butterfly 1:51.31
4 2013 Berlin, GER 50m Butterfly 22.67
1 2013 Berlin, GER 100m Butterfly 49.01
2 2013 Doha, QAT 200m Backstroke 1:51.64
1 2013 Doha, QAT 100m Backstroke 50.23
4 2013 Doha, QAT 50m Butterfly 22.92
1 2013 Doha, QAT 100m Butterfly 48.80
2 2013 Dubai, UAE 200m Backstroke 1:52.26
3 2013 Dubai, UAE 50m Butterfly 23.02
2 2013 Dubai, UAE 100m Butterfly 49.16
1 2013 Dubai, UAE 100m Backstroke 50.15
3 2013 Eindhoven, NED 200m Butterfly 1:51.38
5 2013 Eindhoven, NED 50m Butterfly 22.87
2 2013 Eindhoven, NED 100m Butterfly 49.32
2 2013 Moscow, RUS 200m Butterfly 1:51.98
4 2013 Moscow, RUS 50m Butterfly 22.94
2 2013 Moscow, RUS 100m Butterfly 49.74
4 2013 Tokyo, JPN 50m Butterfly 22.68
2 2013 Tokyo, JPN 100m Butterfly 49.49
8 2013 Tokyo, JPN 200m Backstroke 1:57.23
21 2012   Overall  
3 2012 Berlin, GER 200m Butterfly 1:52.27
1 2012 Berlin, GER 100m Butterfly 50.03
1 2012 Berlin, GER 4 x 50m Freestyle Relay 1:31.16
1 2012 Berlin, GER 4 x 50m Medley Relay 1:40.49
3 2012 Doha, QAT 200m Butterfly 1:52.72
4 2012 Doha, QAT 50m Butterfly 23.18
  2012 Doha, QAT 50m Backstroke  DNS
3 2012 Doha, QAT 100m Butterfly 50.42
4 2012 Dubai, UAE 100m Backstroke 52.06
6 2012 Dubai, UAE 50m Butterfly 23.36
3 2012 Dubai, UAE 100m Butterfly 50.97
7 2012 Dubai, UAE 50m Backstroke 25.07
6 2012 Moscow, RUS 100m Backstroke 51.61
3 2012 Moscow, RUS 100m Butterfly 50.89
1 2012 Moscow, RUS 4 x 50m Medley Relay 1:40.87
3 2012 Stockholm, SWE 200m Butterfly 1:52.80
4 2012 Stockholm, SWE 50m Butterfly 23.42
3 2012 Stockholm, SWE 100m Butterfly 50.55