Lydia Glenn

News Editor

lmg5921@psu.edu

Shaun White, the snowboarder who set the standards for men’s halfpipe snowboarding and invented the Double McTwist 1260, rode in his last ever Olympics on February 11, 2022. 

Shaun White had performed 2 runs, the first one landing him in the 50s and the second in the high 80s. His third turn came around, and by this time, 23-year-old Ayumu Hirano was in first place with a 96. White had one last chance to perfect his run and surpass Hirano for the gold.

On his third run, White took an unfortunate fall when he clipped the top of the halfpipe which sent him stumbling down. Shaun White’s career was officially over. 

His third run earned him a mere 30 points and secured the gold medal for Hirano. Unfortunately, Shaun White did not win a fourth gold medal at his last Olympics. 

Although fans were disappointed that White could not take home the gold in his final Olympics, they were still supportive of everything he had done for the sport itself. 

After White reached the bottom of the halfpipe, held back tears while talking to interviewers. White stated, “I’m proud of this life I’ve led, and what I’ve done in this sport, and what I’ve left behind.” 

The legacy of Shaun White will never be surpassed, and when asked about it he stated, “You’re watching it, these young riders. They’ve been on my heels every step of the way, and to see them finally surpass me is, I think deep down, what I always wanted.” 

White’s support for the young riders is what drives this sport and continues to make it more challenging as time goes on. 

White could not have been happier for the 23-year-old Hirano. He hugged and congratulated him after announcers shouted to the crowd that he had won the gold medal. “It’s your turn,” White said to Hirano after the embrace. 

It was hard in this last Olympics for White to keep up with these young kids. White said, “I did what I could. I’m proud of fourth. I would have loved third, but then I would have wanted second, and if I got second, I would have wanted first.” 

White’s fourth place position may have been a good end to his career, letting his three gold medals stand alone. 

“I got what I got today, and fourth’s amazing,” White said. 

White knew that it was his time to pass the torch onto the other snowboarders in the sport, but it was a bittersweet ending. 

We will certainly not be seeing the last of Shaun White’s name though. Besides his successful snowboarding career, he has also launched his own snowboarding apparel company, “Whitespace”. The company has done amazingly well and has even done collaborations with other brands like Louis Vuitton. 

Although his snowboarding career is finished, his next venture is just starting to begin. 

Shaun White’s legacy will never be forgotten. Men’s halfpipe is a fairly new sport, and Shaun White just so happened to dominate it and create the sport that it is today. With a trick he created, and all the precedents he has set over his Olympic career, Shaun White and his legacy will never be topped.