At 35, the American, a true legend of freestyle snowboarding, competed in his last competition on the occasion of a halfpipe final which he finished at the foot of the podium.
Our special correspondent in Beijing
The story almost got even better. For his last competition, Shaun White dreamed of finishing on the podium. At 35, the American with three Olympic titles had announced that his Beijing Games would be his last competition. Without the slightest regret, as he explained at a press conference before entering the half-pipe for a final lap: “I made this decision when I was in Austria this winter, the pipe was not in the best condition and it was a difficult time for me. I had pain in an ankle, in a knee too, then I hurt my back. I then got lost on the slopes, I found myself on a chairlift to return to the station which was closing and that’s when I said to myself: It’s a sign, it’s over. It was a moving moment, very contrasting because I cried and it was joyful too. I thought about everything I had done and thought that the next time I’m there, I won’t be stressed about a competition or having to learn new tricks. I’ll just be there to enjoy and discover other tracks than the halfpipe.»
From then on, his objective became very clear: to qualify for Beijing and get on the podium there. This was not going to be easy within a particularly tough American team, and with a health context reducing the calendar to a trickle. However, in mid-January, Shaun White won the precious sesame, narrowly after contracting Covid-19 and losing time. A way of the cross which only convinced him of his decision to stop: “At one point, I was discouraged. I had put a lot of pressure on myself and wondered if I was going to make it. Even though these ups and downs made me stronger, it’s also what made me decide to tell myself that this was my last.»
A 4th place without regrets to finish
Two days ago, he had a new, and umpteenth, scare in qualifying by having to get his ticket for the final on his last run, magnificently executed despite the pressure of the end clap threatening to fall on him. . But the pressure, theRed Zeppelin– his nickname with “Flying Tomato“(the flying tomato, in reference to his red hair) – has largely learned to deal with it over the course of a career where he has amassed titles: three Olympics (2006, 2010 and 2018), four worlds and especially thirteen at the X Games, the reference competition for freestyle. But this Friday, he had to settle for the 4e place, the same as in Sochi in 2014 but not with the same frustration on arrival. What does it matter, moreover, that he fell during his very last run, when, aware of having to play everything, he set off to attempt a double cork 1440 combo which had won him gold at Pyeongchang four years ago.
Very moved, the American did not even try to hold back his tears, under the acclamation of his competitors and the accredited persons present. “I’m really grateful to be here and to have been able to continue to compete with all these guys. Even to be fourth, I am proud of it. The future for me is so exciting. There are so many things I want to do in my life. So much to do, so much to experience, this is just the beginning“, he commented hot. The Olympic final allowed Shaun White’s successor, the Japanese Ayumu Hirano (23), to be the first and only snowboarder on the planet to have successfully completed a triple cork in competition, which he landed on the three runs of the final. . “I realize that the tricks (figures) are getting stronger and stronger“, analyzed White as a serene future retiree. “I still love competition, because it’s in my nature, but I’m happy that I don’t have the stress of competition anymore.And to leave room for young people, after having transmitted so much to them. “These young riders have been hot on my heels this whole time. Seeing them finally surpass me is, I think, what I always wanted deep inside me: to finally be beaten so that I could leave without telling myself that I could have done it.».
