Shaun White says goodbye to Olympic snowboarding: 'It's been the love of my life'
Shaun White said an emotional goodbye to Olympic snowboarding after he finished fourth in the halfpipe Friday at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
White ended his career with four Olympic medals, three of them gold, in five Games.
At 19, he won gold at the 2006 Torino Olympics and earned the nickname The Flying Tomato. White called the Beijing Olympics a "bonus round" after feeling satisfied with his Olympic accomplishments.
"A lot of emotions are hitting me right now," he said in an interview with NBC Olympics after his final competition. "I just want to thank everyone for watching. Everyone at home, thank you. Snowboarding, thank you. It's been the love of my life."
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White broke down in tears when NBC showed live footage of his family cheering him on from back home in Los Angeles, including his parents and actress girlfriend, Nina Dobrev. He joked, "You are going to get me ugly crying."
"I wanted more today but I'll take what I can get. I'm proud. It's been my life," he said. "Thank you. I can't wait to see you all."
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