Shaun White. Photo by Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images
American Shaun White capped off his snowboarding career on Friday, finishing fourth in the men's halfpipe competition at the Beijing Olympics.
Driving the news: White announced last week that this would be his final competition, citing recurring knee and back injuries as a factor in his decision.
- "It was very sad and a surreal moment but really joyous as well," he said of the decision to retire.
Details: White scored an 85.00 on his second of three runs, just 2.25 points shy of the bronze medal. But the American fell on his final run, ending his hopes for a fourth gold medal and capping his Olympic career.
- Americans Taylor Gold and Chase Josey finished in fifth and seventh respectively.
The big picture: White is one of the most decorated snowboarders in history, a five-time Olympian and a three-time gold medalist.
- He won his first gold medal as a 19-year-old in 2006 before defending his title in 2010.
- White finished just off the podium in 2014 but rebounded in 2018 to capture the gold medal. With the win in Pyeonchang, White became the first snowboarder to win three Olympic gold medals.
For the record: Japan's Ayumu Hirano, a two-time Olympic silver medalist, won the gold medal with a 96.00 on the final run of the competition.
- He hit triple corks in both his second and third run, becoming the first man to land it in Olympic competition.
- Australia's Scotty James took the silver and Switzerland's Jan Scherrer won the bronze medal.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with details of the medalists.