SCOTTY JAMES

In Shaun White’s farewell performance, Ayumu Hirano of Japan won an elusive Olympic gold in the halfpipe with a boundary-pushing final run.

After winning silver at back-to-back Olympics, Japanese snowboarder Ayumu Hirano is finally a gold medalist.

History will be made regardless of result, as legendary U.S. snowboarder Shaun White competes in his final competition.

Shaun White is competing in his fifth and final Olympics. The legend, who has more X Games gold medals than any other snowboarder. is looking to win his fourth gold medal in the Halfpipe event, four years removed from a crazy comeback in Pyeongchang. James is also coming off a gold medal in the SuperPipe at the X Games last month. The German became only the third man to ever win gold at back-to-back World Championships, doing so in 2020 and 2021.

Shaun White finished third at the Laax Open in Switzerland, marking his first podium finish since he won his third Olympic gold medal in 2018 and all but cementing his spot at next month’s games in Beijing.

Shaun White all but wrapped up a spot in his fifth Olympics on Thursday when he qualified for the finals of a contest in Switzerland and his nearest American pursuer failed to move on.

A look at Mark McMorris, Gus Kenworthy, Ester Ledecka, Mikael Kingsbury and other star international athletes expected to compete at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.