Shaun White failed to medal, but the crowd couldn’t have cared less. The smattering of fans in Zhangjiakou showered him with praise after he crashed on his third and final run on the Olympic halfpipe.
“I always want more, but that’s ok. I did what I could do,” he said to reporters shortly after his last Olympic run. “I’m so relieved,” he added with a laugh. Those laughs turned to tears as he expressed gratitude to his community and the sport that has defined him for most of his life.
“I’m proud of this life I’ve led, and what I’ve done in this sport and what I’ve left behind. I knew the day would come, but to finally be here is pretty wild.
“Three out of five,” he said of his Olympic gold medals. “Not bad.”
