The men’s snowboarding halfpipe had it all.
Team USA’s Shaun White, a legend of the sport, gave his final farewell as he placed fourth in his last Olympic performance. White has previously won three golds in the event.
Earlier in the event, White had jumped into second place with a run that earned him an 85.00 score.
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Fans were treated to a world-record feat during Kaishu Hirano’s run, as Hirano soared more than 24 feet above the lip of the halfpipe, the highest ever.
A controversy almost engulfed the event, as Ayumu Hirano of Japan threw down the first-ever Olympic triple cork in what some called “the most technical run in the history of snowboarding.” But Hirano placed behind Australian Scotty James in his second run.
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Hirano, who won silver in the last two Olympics, overcame the unexpected adversity in his third and final run. The Japanese snowboarder roared back with another triple cork, this time earning himself a score of 96, giving him the gold medal.
