He's in! Participating in his fifth and final Olympics, Shaun White came up clutch when it mattered most.
A three-time Olympic gold medalist in the halfpipe, White has advanced to the halfpipe final.
SHAUN WHITE IS GOING TO THE MEN'S SNOWBOARD HALFPIPE FINAL!#WinterOlympics | #WatchWithUS
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 9, 2022
📺 @nbc and @peacockTV
💻 https://t.co/2G2aUmjS5U pic.twitter.com/0H0nGPDg71
The 35-year-old was among 25 riders vying for 12 spots in Thursday's final.
MORE: Watch the 2022 Olympics live with fuboTV
Each competitor had two runs, with the better score being the only one to count in the rankings.
White didn't make it easy on himself, either, falling midway through his first qualifying run.
"Everything was clicking and I think I took that little laxxed approach to that last hit and next thing I knew I was sliding on my back," White said on NBC of his first run. "I had a lot of time to kill, a lot of thoughts going through my head."
Those who stayed awake into the wee hours of the morning sat on the edge of their seats as White dropped into his second run with his Olympic hopes hanging on this all-or-nothing run.
MORE: Shaun White Olympics schedule: How to watch USA snowboarding star live at 2022 Games
His final run landed him a 86.25, which was good enough for fourth overall.
Ayumu Hirano, a two-time Olympic silver medalist and Australia’s Scotty James, both favorites to win gold, and Ruka Hirano finished ahead of White.
| NAME | COUNTRY | SCORE |
|
Ayumu Hirano |
Japan | 93.25 |
|
Scotty James |
Australia | 91.25 |
|
Ruka Hirano |
Japan | 87.00 |
|
Shaun White |
USA | 86.25 |
|
Valentino Guseli |
Australia | 85.75 |
|
Yuto Totsuka |
Japan | 84.50 |
|
Taylor Gold |
USA | 83.50 |
|
Jan Scherrer |
Switzerland | 79.25 |
|
Kaishu Hirano |
Japan | 77.25 |
|
Andre Hoeflich |
Germany | 75.00 |
|
Patrick Burgener |
Switzerland | 73.00 |
|
Chase Josey |
USA | 69.50 |
After his run, White was all smiles.
"The Olympics, I mean it doesn't get any bigger."@ShaunWhite reacts to qualifying for the men's snowboard halfpipe final Thursday night on @nbc and @peacockTV. #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/9WmAqC8EtT
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 9, 2022
"The Olympics, I mean it doesn't get any bigger," White said on NBC's Olympic broadcast.
I'm so happy I put that last run down. I'm feeling incredible. You gotta fight for it if you want to get into the finals and that's what I did.
MORE: USA medal count 2022: Updated tally of Olympic gold, silver, bronze medals for United States
While qualifying was high-flying, it wasn't the highest of flying. These competitors didn't want to show all of their cards.
"This is that weird sort of in-between where you want to do just enough to get into finals-- not give everything away," White said. "For finals, we're not holding back-- everything we've got. For me especially, I'm throwing everything I got at it, see what happens."
Might that include a triple cork?
"I've been eying it," White said.
The triple cork includes three flips with a varying number of diagonal rotations, a combination White has never successfully completed the triple cork in competition. In fact, attempting the triple cork once put him in the hospital. Actually landing it could put him on atop the podium one final time.
He used two consecutive double cork 1440s to clinch his third Olympic gold medal at PyeongChang in 2018. It was the toughest combination at the time, and White had actually never landed the combination before, not even in practice.
But this is his final Olympics. Now would be the time. The triple cork would be a walk-off home run for White.
"Finals, we'll see," White said. "If there's a time to do it, that'll be it."
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Which events is Shaun White snowboarding?
White will solely be competing in the men's snowboard halfpipe. White has earned three gold medals for this event (2006, 2010 and 2018). In 2014, he placed fourth.
According to NBCOlympics.com, the halfpipe event is scored based on five categories: amplitude (height), difficulty, variety, execution and progression. The final score ranges from 1-100. White won in 2018 with a score of 98.50.
How to watch Olympic snowboarding
- TV channels: NBC, USA
- Live streams: Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC Sports App, fuboTV
The main snowboarding events will be shown on NBC and USA, either live or taped.
Viewers can stream the events on NBC's streaming service Peacock, along with their NBC Sports App and their website NBCOlympics.com. Additionally, viewers can watch Olympic events live with fuboTV, which offers a free trial in the United States.
Shaun White remaining snowboarding schedule
| Date | Event | Time (ET) | TV Channel |
| Thursday, Feb. 10 | Halfpipe final | 8:30 p.m. | NBC |
| Friday, Feb. 11 | Halfpipe final (re-air) | 12:30 a.m. | NBC |