Sports

Shaun Whites legendary career comes to an end, finishes fourth in Beijing

BEIJING — The torch has officially been passed as three-time gold medalist Shaun White finished in fourth place in his final Olympic appearance in the men’s snowboard halfpipe.

Sitting in fourth place with 85.00 after the second run, White went for it all as he trailed the current first place leader by 7.50 points. Upon landing a 1440, White fell on the next trick during his third and final run, officially ending what he has said will be his final Olympics.

After falling, White quickly rose to his feet, removed his helmet, and embraced both his fellow competitors and a cheering crowd one last time. An emotional moment to say the least as the face of the sport and the G.O.A.T had taken his last run as an Olympian.

Throughout the entirety of the competition, one can’t help but recognize the impact the 35 year old from Carlsbad, California has had on snowboarding. A three-time gold medalist in the Turin (2006), Vancouver (2010) and PyeongChang (2018), White has always been about going higher and pushing the sports boundaries.

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Shaun White after winning the gold medal in the 2006 Turin Olympics. Photo: U.S. Ski and Snowboard.

From the beginning, the “Flying Tomato” captured hearts around the world as his high-flying tricks dazzled viewers on an international scale. In Turin he orchestrated a magnificent comeback to win his first ever gold. In Vancouver he debuted a brand new trick and his trademark, the Double McTwist 1260, and in PyeongChang, he landed back-to-back 1440’s to reclaim the gold after not medaling in Sochi.

https://usskiandsnowboard.smugmug.com/Olympics/2006-Torino/Torino-2006/i-LHzgbHc/A

Shaun White with his gold medal in the 2006 Turin Olympics. Photo: U.S. Ski and Snowboard.

So while the final chapter of White’s legendary career comes to an end, his impact on the sport is clear and everlasting as athletes around the world have been inspired by his performances to continue pushing the boundaries of snowboarding.

As for the final point tally, Japan’s Ayumu Hirano won gold with a 96.00 while Australia’s Scotty James clinched the silver with a 92.50 and Switzerland’s Jan Scherrer took home the bronze with a 87.25. As previously mentioned, White finished in fourth with a 85.00 while fellow American Taylor Gold finished in fifth with a 81.75.

 

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