Have you been watching this year’s Winter Olympics? Since its inception in the 1920s, the event has become a global phenomenon with an evolving offering of sporting categories.
While many people tune in to watch figure skating, one of its other major draws is snowboarding. Added to the roster in 1998, snowboarding has become more than just a quick run down a snowy slope. There are races, tricks, obstacles, and jumps that athletes spend years perfecting.
While the sport sees competitors from all over world, perhaps one of its most famous athletes is American snowboarder Shaun White. After participating in the Winter Olympics for the first time in 2006 where he won a gold medal in the halfpipe, he’s been able to return to each subsequent Winter Olympics.
This past week, he had something big to celebrate. Not only did Shaun White grab his third gold medal for the Men’s Halfpipe competition, but his win also marked the 100th gold medal victory for the United States at the Winter Olympics! Pretty cool, right?
Thanks to his impressive performance, the U.S. made history. Shaun also has a couple of other reasons to celebrate. With this win, he’s the first three-time winner in snowboarding. He’s also the only American (so far) to win the same event at three separate Olympic Games.
But this didn’t come easy. He pulled off a series of tricks that he wasn’t able to during practice. It was a double 1440 that put him over the top, and he wasn’t sure. During a practice run in New Zealand, White wound up with 62 stitches to his face while trying to do it.
And with fierce competition from seasoned rival Scotty James of Australia and 19-year-old Ayumu Hirano from Japan, it was anyone’s game this year. Hirano, himself a history-maker as the youngest to win a medal at a different competition – the X Games – won a silver in Sochi at age 15.
The pressure was on with Hirano in the lead, and White made two runs with the third being his last hope. It was then that he clinched the gold by landing those 1440s plus his signature McTwist 1260. He came out on top!
It was a sweet victory for White who placed fourth during 2014’s Winter Olympics in Sochi. He’s come a long way since being a California kid who got into skateboarding and snowboarding before the age of 10.
Now, he can celebrate alongside Chloe Kim, a fellow American snowboarder who just became the youngest female to win a medal in snowboarding at age 17. She won gold for the halfpipe too! And let’s not forget Red Gerard, the 17-year-old snowboarder who landed the first gold medal for Team USA at this year’s games.
Click on this video to hear how Shaun reacted to his win and more bout Olympic snowboarders. He’s inspired a new generation of snowboarders who have some big shoes to fill.
Did you know that Shaun White made history? Are you a fan of the Winter Olympics? What did you think of this win?