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https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/10/sport/shaun-white-olympics-beijing-intl-hnk/index.html
Team USA snowboarding legend Shaun White crashes out on final Olympic run
By Simone McCarthy, CNN
Updated 2:23 AM ET, Fri February 11, 2022
USA's Shaun White reacts after his final Olympic run in the men's snowboard halfpipe final at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.
(CNN)United States snowboarding great Shaun White ended his legendary career with a disappointing finish in the men's snowboard halfpipe final at the Beijing Olympic games on Friday.
White, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and snowboarding icon, appeared emotional after crashing out of his final run at Friday's event at Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou.
White, who just missed the podium for a fourth-place finish, nailed a frontside 1440 to open, but couldn't land his next trick and skated to the bottom to applause from everyone in the crowd -- fans, officials, journalists, other athletes, teams, and volunteers.
"A lot of emotions are hitting me right now, the cheering from the crowd, some kind words from my fellow competitors at the bottom, I'm so happy," said the 35-year-old after the event, which he last week announced would be the last of his illustrious career.
Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White celebrates with fellow American Scott Lago after winning the halfpipe at the 2010 Olympics. Lago took home the bronze.
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White holds two ESPY Awards he won in 2010 -- one for best male Olympian and one for best male action sport athlete.
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White makes a cameo in the 2011 film "Friends with Benefits" starring Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake.
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White won another vert skateboarding title at the X Games in 2011.
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White poses for a portrait in 2011.
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White soars above spectators during the Winter X Games in 2012. He received a perfect score of 100 -- the first time that had ever happened in Winter X Games history.
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White plays himself in a scene with Matthew Perry on an episode of "Go On" in 2013.
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White crashes on the halfpipe at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia. He finished in fourth place.
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White is seen backstage before performing with his rock band, Bad Things, in 2014.
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White and actress Tracee Ellis Ross appear with host Andy Cohen on an episode of "Watch What Happens Live" in 2017.
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White competes at the the US Open event in Vail, Colorado, in 2017.
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White breaks out into tears after winning the halfpipe at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. White trailed Japan's Ayumu Hirano going into his last run — the final run of the entire competition. But with all the pressure on him, White came through with a near-perfect score of 98.50. It was his third gold in four Olympics.
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
During a news conference after his 2018 Olympic win, White called past sexual-harassment allegations levied against him "gossip." White had previously admitted to sending lewd text messages to Lena Zawaideh, the former drummer of his band, in 2016, and the parties later reached an undisclosed settlement.
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White performs at a skateboarding event in Marseille, France, in 2018.
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White greets a fan after his final halfpipe run in a Dew Tour event in 2021.
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White gets fitted in Olympic gear ahead of the 2022 Winter Games.
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White walks off his last run in the halfpipe final in Beijing. He fell on the run and finished in fourth.
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
American snowboarder Shaun White celebrates on the podium after winning a gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Italy.
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
Winning has been a habit for White for nearly his entire life, as we see in this old photo he posted to Instagram earlier this year. "As a kid, the Olympics didn't even have snowboarding. I just loved doing it," White said in his post. "Snowboarding gave me purpose and brought my family together. I'm so proud that I helped grow and shape the sport into what it is today. I can't wait to see where the next generation takes it."
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
A young White is seen with his mother, Cathy, in this photo he posted on Twitter. White was born in San Diego and grew up in nearby Carlsbad. His family would often travel to the San Bernardino Mountains.
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White poses with skateboarding icon Tony Hawk in 2001. White has also competed in skateboarding during his career, winning five medals at the X Games.
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White soars over the halfpipe during a US Grand Prix event in Breckenridge, Colorado, in 2002.
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White goofs around with pro skateboarder Bucky Lasek during the X Games in 2004.
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White celebrates after winning the halfpipe event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Italy. It was his first Olympic gold.
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White is interviewed by late-night talk show host Jay Leno after his Olympic triumph in 2006.
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White appears on MTV's "TRL" with host Vanessa Minnillo in 2006.
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White competes on the halfpipe during the US Open Snowboarding Championships in 2006.
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White plays the guitar on a tour bus while attending the X Games in 2006.
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White wows the crowd during an X Games skateboarding event in 2008. He won the bronze medal that year in the vert competition.
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White celebrates after his final superpipe run at the Winter X Games in 2009. He won the event for a second straight year.
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
Before the 2010 Olympics, Red Bull, one of White's sponsors at the time, built White his own private halfpipe in Silverton, Colorado. There, he learned a handful of new tricks that would ultimately propel him to a gold medal in Canada.
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White plays a Nintendo Wii with late-night talk show host Jimmy Fallon in 2009.
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White competes on the halfpipe at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia.
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White celebrates with fellow American Scott Lago after winning the halfpipe at the 2010 Olympics. Lago took home the bronze.
Hide Caption
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White holds two ESPY Awards he won in 2010 -- one for best male Olympian and one for best male action sport athlete.
Hide Caption
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White makes a cameo in the 2011 film "Friends with Benefits" starring Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake.
Hide Caption
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White won another vert skateboarding title at the X Games in 2011.
Hide Caption
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White poses for a portrait in 2011.
Hide Caption
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White soars above spectators during the Winter X Games in 2012. He received a perfect score of 100 -- the first time that had ever happened in Winter X Games history.
Hide Caption
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White plays himself in a scene with Matthew Perry on an episode of "Go On" in 2013.
Hide Caption
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White crashes on the halfpipe at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia. He finished in fourth place.
Hide Caption
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White is seen backstage before performing with his rock band, Bad Things, in 2014.
Hide Caption
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White and actress Tracee Ellis Ross appear with host Andy Cohen on an episode of "Watch What Happens Live" in 2017.
Hide Caption
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White competes at the the US Open event in Vail, Colorado, in 2017.
Hide Caption
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White breaks out into tears after winning the halfpipe at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. White trailed Japan's Ayumu Hirano going into his last run — the final run of the entire competition. But with all the pressure on him, White came through with a near-perfect score of 98.50. It was his third gold in four Olympics.
Hide Caption
28 of 33
Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
During a news conference after his 2018 Olympic win, White called past sexual-harassment allegations levied against him "gossip." White had previously admitted to sending lewd text messages to Lena Zawaideh, the former drummer of his band, in 2016, and the parties later reached an undisclosed settlement.
Hide Caption
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White performs at a skateboarding event in Marseille, France, in 2018.
Hide Caption
30 of 33
Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White greets a fan after his final halfpipe run in a Dew Tour event in 2021.
Hide Caption
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White gets fitted in Olympic gear ahead of the 2022 Winter Games.
Hide Caption
32 of 33
Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White walks off his last run in the halfpipe final in Beijing. He fell on the run and finished in fourth.
Hide Caption
33 of 33
Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
American snowboarder Shaun White celebrates on the podium after winning a gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Italy.
Hide Caption
1 of 33
Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
Winning has been a habit for White for nearly his entire life, as we see in this old photo he posted to Instagram earlier this year. "As a kid, the Olympics didn't even have snowboarding. I just loved doing it," White said in his post. "Snowboarding gave me purpose and brought my family together. I'm so proud that I helped grow and shape the sport into what it is today. I can't wait to see where the next generation takes it."
Hide Caption
2 of 33
Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
A young White is seen with his mother, Cathy, in this photo he posted on Twitter. White was born in San Diego and grew up in nearby Carlsbad. His family would often travel to the San Bernardino Mountains.
Hide Caption
3 of 33
Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White poses with skateboarding icon Tony Hawk in 2001. White has also competed in skateboarding during his career, winning five medals at the X Games.
Hide Caption
4 of 33
Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White soars over the halfpipe during a US Grand Prix event in Breckenridge, Colorado, in 2002.
Hide Caption
5 of 33
Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White goofs around with pro skateboarder Bucky Lasek during the X Games in 2004.
Hide Caption
6 of 33
Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White celebrates after winning the halfpipe event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Italy. It was his first Olympic gold.
Hide Caption
7 of 33
Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White is interviewed by late-night talk show host Jay Leno after his Olympic triumph in 2006.
Hide Caption
8 of 33
Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White appears on MTV's "TRL" with host Vanessa Minnillo in 2006.
Hide Caption
9 of 33
Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White competes on the halfpipe during the US Open Snowboarding Championships in 2006.
Hide Caption
10 of 33
Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White plays the guitar on a tour bus while attending the X Games in 2006.
Hide Caption
11 of 33
Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White wows the crowd during an X Games skateboarding event in 2008. He won the bronze medal that year in the vert competition.
Hide Caption
12 of 33
Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White celebrates after his final superpipe run at the Winter X Games in 2009. He won the event for a second straight year.
Hide Caption
13 of 33
Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
Before the 2010 Olympics, Red Bull, one of White's sponsors at the time, built White his own private halfpipe in Silverton, Colorado. There, he learned a handful of new tricks that would ultimately propel him to a gold medal in Canada.
Hide Caption
14 of 33
Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White plays a Nintendo Wii with late-night talk show host Jimmy Fallon in 2009.
Hide Caption
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White competes on the halfpipe at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Hide Caption
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Photos: Snowboarding legend Shaun White
White celebrates with fellow American Scott Lago after winning the halfpipe at the 2010 Olympics. Lago took home the bronze.
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"Snowboarding, thank you. It's been the love of my life...It's been a journey. I can't wait to see where this sport goes," he said.
The star, who has dominated the sport for two decades, was up against a formidable field of younger contenders. Two-time silver-medalist Ayumu Hirano, 23, took Japan's first gold in the event.
Australia's Scotty James, 27, won silver and Swiss Jan Scherrer, also 27, went home with bronze.
"To get this bonus round, to be here, see these young guys competing, it's been such an enjoyable process and (I'm) truly thankful to be here and still competing and even getting fourth. I'm proud of it," White said.
The event was stacked with impressive moments. Japan's Hirano nailed not one but two triple cork 1440s -- an immensely difficult and technical trick that had never before been landed in Olympic history.
The Japanese star also landed a frontside, a cab, two double cork 1260s and a frontside double cork 1440 -- a flawless run that was given a final score of 96.
Japan's Ayumu Hirano celebrates after winning gold at the Beijing Games.
He narrowly beat Australia's Scotty James, who also performed well on his final of three runs -- but he lost some speed, placing him in a solid silver position.
Hirano's win made Japanese sporting history as the country's first gold in an Olympic snowboarding event. Hirano said it was the realization of a childhood dream.
The top medalist competed alongside his younger brother Kaishu Hirano, 19, who finished ninth and pulled off an incredible jump that launched him several meters into the air, to roaring applause from the crowd.
"Us brothers making this stage and winning it myself was also great for both of us," Ayumu Hirano said.
Social media users in Japan gushed over video showing Hirano and White hugging after the event.
"In addition to congratulating him, it looks like a hug to pass on the message, 'From now on, it's your era; you're going to make history.' This makes me cry," wrote one Twitter user.
Another social media user alluded to how White and Hirano -- athletes from different generations -- had grown up competing alongside one another: "When the pair hugged, my tear glands went crazy. I felt like I witnessed a precious moment as one era ended."
White had been under intense pressure after coming in fourth at the qualifying event earlier this week -- and he said he was having some difficulty with his back leg during his runs.
"Just missed the podium, I would have loved to walk out there with everyone, for one last time but you can't always get what you want, you get what you need," said White, quoting the Rolling Stones. "Maybe it was the pressure, maybe it was just exhaustion."
But he still pulled off a performance that saw him land every trick in his second run, fleetingly vaulting him into the silver medal position.
He also showed off his signature trick, the Tomahawk -- also known as the Double McTwist 1260 -- which he unveiled during his victory lap at the 2010 Vancouver Games.
This is the fifth and final Olympics for White, who has been a major Olympic contender since his Winter Games debut at Turin in 2006. He won his three golds in 2006, 2010, and 2018.
The 35-year-old, once dubbed the "Flying Tomato" because of his flowing red hair, last week said a spate of injuries influenced his decision to retire after the Beijing Games.
That makes this Beijing halfpipe event the final Olympic run for White, who has also racked up 13 titles at the Winter X Games and along the way became a household name and icon of his sport.
"The future for me is so exciting, there's so much I want to do in my life," White said. "So much to do, so much to live for, this is just the beginning for me."
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