Legendary Snowboarder Shaun White bids tearful farewell to Winter Olympics, finishes fourth in Beijing

Snowboarder Shaun White emotional after his final Winter Olympics Performance (Pic Credit: Reuters)
Snowboarder Shaun White emotional after his final Winter Olympics Performance (Pic Credit: Reuters)

Legendary snowboarder Shaun White graced the Winter Olympics for the last time in Beijing. Shaun finished fourth in his final snowboarding contest at the men's halfpipe at the ongoing 2022 Beijing Winter Games on Friday.

Shaun's admirers would surely have wanted to see him sign off with a podium finish, if not the gold medal. He pulled off his signature doubles McTwist 1260s and 1440s, but fell short of what was required to finish on top.

Tears rolled down as Shaun White told Australia's Scotty James in the finish area that it was his last appearance. James bagged a silver medal at the men's halfpipe event.

Shaun told James:

"That's it," said with tears welling in his eyes. Riding down to get to the half pipe, just watching the Sun come up over the hill and the turbines and [the] beautiful, beautiful place we're at , [I was] just trying to squeeze every little moment out of this process."

The fans showed their appreciation for the legendary snowboarder.

Shaun further said:

"Obviously I would have loved to have third, and then if I would have had third, I would have loved to have second (laughs). I always want more as a competitor, but I'm proud. I'm leaving behind a lifetime and a career in this sport and a legacy."

The most decorated snowboarder that the history of the Winter Olympics has ever seen, is surely proud of his monumental achievements.

"It's done and I'm so relieved. I'm proud of every bit, every moment. So thank you. Thank you, snowboarding. Thank you to everybody watching, and I can't wait for what's next."

Shaun stepped out knowing it was his last performance, while processing all the emotions, the beauty of the sport and his enormous contribution to it.

"And obviously, I wish I would have done better in my runs. I mean, there's a reason: my back leg was like, giving out on me, it was so sore, maybe it's the nerves. It was just locking up and I did what I could and I'm proud of fourth."

Shaun White at Winter Olympics

Shaun, nicknamed "The Flying Tomato" because of his red hair, has been a staple in the Winter Games since making his debut at the Turin Olympics in 2006.

Shaun's final stint as an Olympian included three gold medals in five Olympic appearances.

The 35-year-old made his fifth consecutive Olympic appearance in Beijing. He bagged Winter Olympics gold medals in Turin, Italy (2006), Vancouver, British Columbia (2010) and PyeongChang (2018). He finished fourth in Sochi, Russia, in 2014.

Also read: Slovenia's physiotherapist comes to rescue in Norway's mixed biathlon relay gold medal stint

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Edited by Diptanil