WATCH: Japanese Snowboarder Shadows Shaun White, Lands ‘Impossible’ Skill for First Time in History
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WATCH: Japanese Snowboarder Shadows Shaun White, Lands ‘Impossible’ Skill for First Time in History
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ASPEN, COLORADO – MARCH 21: Shaun White of the United States takes a training run for the men’s snowboard halfpipe final during Day 4 the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix World Cup at Buttermilk Ski Resort on March 21, 2021 in Aspen, Colorado. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
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ASPEN, COLORADO – MARCH 21: Shaun White of the United States takes a training run for the men’s snowboard halfpipe final during Day 4 the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix World Cup at Buttermilk Ski Resort on March 21, 2021 in Aspen, Colorado. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
When it comes to dominance in the snow, Shaun White has an untarnished legacy there. However, even after years of practice and success, there is still one move that Shaun is yet to perfect; The triple cork trick.
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Top snowboarders are currently competing for their Beijing Olympics 2022 berths. Notably, a Japanese snowboarder recently made history, performing the iconic trick that Shaun himself hasn’t pulled off, ever.
Ayumu Hirano defeats Shaun White with a triple cork
The Olympic qualifiers are getting intense as the snowboarders are proving to be insane competition for each other. On Sunday, the Dew Tour Copper Mountain in Colorado brought with it some moments of magic. Notably, the Japanese athletes outclassed others, putting up one too many remarkable performances.
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LOS ANGELES – AUGUST 3: Olympic gold medalist Shaun White competes in the Skateboard Vert Men’s Final during the ESPN X Games on August 3, 2006 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
Japanese star, and reigning champion, Yuto Totsuka, secured first place. Meanwhile, American snowboarder, Taylor Gold clinched the second position, and Japan’s Ruka Hirano finished third. However, the spotlight was stolen by another Japanese star, Ayumu Hirano.
The 23-year-old created history in halfpipe, as he became the first snowboarder to successfully perform the triple cork at the championship. Notably, the trick involves three off-axis flips and four spins.
Ayumu Hirano puts down the first triple cork in competition. #dewtour #snowboarding 🏂🇯🇵💪🏽 pic.twitter.com/bt30itHRT2
— Dew Tour (@DewTour) December 19, 2021
Interestingly, Ayumu finished fifth with 86.75 points, whereas American icon Shaun finished in seventh place.
Time is running out for Shaun
35-year-old Shaun White is nearing his retirement, and Beijing Olympics 2022 might be his last chance to clinch his fourth Olympic gold. Sadly, things aren’t working in Shaun’s favor, as he has failed to qualify for the Winter Games so far. With three Olympic qualifiers over, Shaun now has just one chance left at the Mammoth mountains, the US Grand Prix Championship, which will take place in January 2022.
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PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA – FEBRUARY 14: Shaun White of the United States celebrates after his third run during the Snowboard Men’s Halfpipe Final on day five of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics at Phoenix Snow Park on February 14, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Undeniably, Shaun is the most dominating snowboarder of all time; however, just like Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps, Shaun’s career also might soon come to an end. Do you think Shaun will clinch his historical fifth appearance at the 2022 Beijing Olympics?
