
via Getty
PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA – FEBRUARY 14: Gold medalist Shaun White of the United States poses during the medal ceremony for the Snowboard Men’s Halfpipe Final on day five of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics at Medal Plaza on February 14, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)

via Getty
PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA – FEBRUARY 14: Gold medalist Shaun White of the United States poses during the medal ceremony for the Snowboard Men’s Halfpipe Final on day five of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics at Medal Plaza on February 14, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)
Shaun White didn’t lose hope of qualifying to the finals because somewhere he knew he was meant to. And his crystal ball techniques don’t just apply to himself. In a media interaction prior to leaving for Beijing, White revealed who he believed to be the top contenders for the men’s halfpipe event. And lo-and-behold, they seem to have all made it to the finals. At the very least, to compete for top honors.
Shaun White himself qualified in a dramatic fashion. After having fallen on his first run, the snowboarding sensation picked himself up and made sure to have his second run counted. Putting together a strong combination of moves, White ensured he would stay in the running for at least 2 more days before his Olympic farewell.
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Shaun White appeared in a video for the Today YouTube channel where he answered several questions about his preparation for the upcoming games. Some questions featured Shaun’s opinions on his competitors, too. Turns out, White kept track pretty well. He mentions several names of snowboarders that are a part of the competition with him, but more specifically, he gets them right.
And his predictions panning out is what is most predictable. At 35, White has been around enough to know talent when he sees some; and he’s marked out the people he knows will be competing.
Shaun White’s predictions
When asked who he thought would be his top competitors in the men’s halfpipe in Beijing, White was quick to answer.
“I would hope I am one of the top snowboarders you’d want to tune in to see,” White said sheepishly. The superstar is into his 5th Olympics and is still competing at the highest level for laurels.
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With his contenders all in their 20s, you would still put Shaun White on your list of people that are going to win at the Olympics. And that’s what makes him great. Despite his form and ability going into the Beijing games, he still remains wary of his competition.

via Reuters
2022 Beijing Olympics – Snowboard – Men’s Halfpipe Qualification Run 2 – Genting Snow Park, Zhangjiakou, China – February 9, 2022. Shaun White of the United States in action. REUTERS/Mike Blake
White also mentioned Scotty James. Contending from the land Down Under, White added, “He’ll be one to watch.” Before ending the question by mentioning the Japanese pairing of Hirano Ayumu and Totsuka Yuko.
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“The 4 of us will sort be the ones really battling it out,”?added White, in the context of the Beijing Games. And the only thing White got wrong was their order of qualification. He went 4 for 4 with his contender list with all of his potentials qualifying to the finals.
What we await now is White being able to beat his competition to the podium, especially after such an exhilarating qualifying on his second run out on the half-pipe.
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