The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics were the last competition for Shaun White’s career. At his fifth Olympics, on the final run of his last competition, he rode down the halfpipe after a fall, finishing off the podium. His legacy established, White made a dignified glide out of competition.

It was a nerve-wracking three runs to watch, of which he only completed two. But what was the final event of his career like for White?

Shaun White opens up about his performance

The competition at the halfpipe was fierce. Shaun White was up against a generation of snowboarders much younger than him. Ayumu Hirano, the sole proprietor of the triple cork 1440, Australian rival, Scotty James, who won bronze in Pyeongchang, and the Swiss snowboarder Jan Scherrer took the top 3 spots. 

He made it through a conservative first run without incident, placing fourth. But his second run was a sight to behold. When he finished, he pumped a fist, screamed, and yanked the snowboard off his feet in celebration.

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“Putting in that second run, I was just so thrilled. I nailed it, every hit. I was so proud,” White told Ash Tulloch. But the score didn’t quite meet White’s expectations. “I was a little disappointed in my score. I thought that might’ve bumped me up into the first position, above the third-place–who ended up finishing in third.”

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White took second place temporarily after his run. But as the snowboarders finished their runs, he went back down to fourth. Instead, Jan Scherrer sat in third after the second run, maintaining his position up till the end. 

White left behind a legacy

As it usually is in judged sports, Shaun White understands that the scoring wasn’t in his hands. “It’s a judged event, and everybody’s got an opinion, and it’s tough, you know,” White added. “You just do your best and hope for the best scores. So [I] went back to the top and plotted my next run.”

Shaun White is the only triple Olympic gold medalist in snowboarding. He is one of those few athletes whose name became bigger than the sport itself. White has spent half his life pushing the sport forward, with his signature Double McTwist 1260 and double Cork 1440s.

Now the field is ripe with fresh talent, pulling off tricks that, at one point, only White could dream of. While the fourth finish made White’s farewell somewhat bittersweet, he will always be a legend and an icon in snowboarding.

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With his slew of monikers, including “The Flying Tomato”, unforgettable feats on the slope, and charming personality, White has now left the sport behind to enjoy his retirement vacationing with his girlfriend.