- Shaun White won his third Olympic gold medal on Tuesday after a near-perfect final run in the men’s halfpipe competition.
- After his winning score came back from the judges, White fell to his knees in tears with joy and relief.
- With the win, the United States continued its run of dominance in snowboarding at the 2018 Winter Games.
Shaun White completed his comeback on Tuesday night, winning Olympic gold in the men’s snowboarding halfpipe for the third time in his career.
White had taken gold previously in 2006 and 2010, but fell short at the Sochi 2014 games, finishing just off the podium in fourth place.
On Tuesday, it looked like White might come up short again — in second place entering his final run of the competition, looking up at Japan’s Ayumu Hirano with just one last chance to reach the top of the podium.
Bombing through the pipe, White was able to match Hirano’s back-to-back 1440s in his cleanest run of the day. His run went to the judges, and after a dramatic delay, White was awarded a near-perfect score of 97.75, and with it the 2018 gold medal.
When the score was read, White threw his board in the air and fell to his knees in a mix of elation, relief, and pure joy.
White’s emotions became even more apparent as he went to meet his loved ones after the result was official.
With the win, the United States are now 4-for-4 in snowboarding gold so far at the Winter Games, with Chloe Kim taking home the top spot in the women’s halfpipe, and Jamie Anderson and Red Gerard winning the women’s and men’s slopestyle competitions earlier in the week.
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