Business Insider
Sports

Shaun White teared up after falling on the final run of his legendary snowboarding career

Shaun White.
Shaun White finishes the final run of his career. REUTERS/Mike Blake
  • Shaun White has taken the final ride of his illustrious snowboarding career.
  • The three-time gold medalist finished his Olympic career with a fourth-place finish in Beijing.
  • He fell on his last run of the day, then cried as he received a standing ovation from the crowd.

Shaun White's legendary snowboarding career has officially come to an end.

The five-time Olympian took his final run during the men's halfpipe final at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. He finished just shy of the podium in fourth place, and even though he took a tough fall to bring his 16-year reign to a close, White still received a standing ovation from the crowd on hand at Genting Snow Park on Friday.

 

The weight of the moment proved too much for the 35-year-old American superstar; tears sprang to his eyes.

"Man," White said to the cameras. "That's it." 

Shaun White waves goodbye.
White waves goodbye. AP Photo/Francisco Seco

After White received his scores, he moved on from the cameras and towards the crowd. But first, he shook hands with a handful of the competitors he had just faced in the men's halfpipe final.

They had all lined up to congratulate him on an extraordinary career.

White goes out as the foremost face of the sport. He won three Olympic gold medals in his illustrious career — more than any other snowboarder in the history of the games.

Check out the clip of White tearing up as he addresses his friends and loved ones back home below:

 

Read next

Jump to

  1. Main content
  2. Search
  3. Account