Shaun White’s brilliant career came to an end when he fell on his final run at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The impact of the American on snowboarding has been immense, and he expressed relief at being able to retire.
Shaun White’s legendary snowboarding career came to an end on Friday when he slid down the halfpipe at Zhangjiakou’s Genting Snow Park.
With a fourth-place finish, White needed to do something special in his final run to make the podium. Despite a knee issue that made it difficult to maintain his edge, he laid down two good lines before clipping the halfpipe’s edge and sliding down the sidewall on his second double cork 1440.
As he rode down the halfpipe for the final time, the emotions quickly surfaced. He tried to hold back emotions as he thought about his remarkable career afterward.
“It’s been everything, it’s been wild,” White told reporters afterward. “I’m not sad, I’m just kind of in awe looking at this entire lifetime in this sport. I love this sport so much, even the awful moments.”
