On 18 February, Shim claimed gold in the 3000 metre relay as part of the South Korean relay team. With three laps to go in the final race, South Korea trailed China by a substantial margin and seemed headed toward an inevitable second place. However, the 17-year-old anchor for the relay team reached deep and conjured up every bit of energy. She zipped past Li Jianrou on the outer side of the track in the final lap, a daring move that stunned the Chinese in a nail-biting finish.