Professional athletes from all sports have long struggled with the dreaded ‘R’ word. Retirement. Michael Jordan, Evander Holyfield and Bjorn Borg all “retired” from their respective sport only to announce a comeback years later with varying degrees of success. Even American football legend Tom Brady, who recently announced his retirement, backtracked just a bit saying he was “considering all his options,” before making it official a few days later.
But for Shaun White, the three-time snowboarding gold medalist in halfpipe, Beijing will be his last bite of the apple (tomato) and he’s just fine with that.
The 35-year-old will be the fifth Olympic Games for White, nicknamed “The Flying Tomato” for his red hair and aerial tricks. Still a teenager when he won his first gold in Torino 2006, he will now be competing against snowboarders half his age.
“I’m proud that at my age, I’m still doing this sport,” White said recently. “I’m honored and the most proud of being able to stay on top of a sport that’s always changing.”
“To show up and do some heavy tricks with the younger riders, that’s very inspiring to me.”
One of those young riders will be Japan’s Ayumu Hirano. He claimed a silver medal in Sochi 2014 and then again in PyeongChang four years later while White took gold. The 23-year-old Hirano will clearly have his eyes on the top spot of the podium this time around in Beijing.
It’s been a difficult road to Beijing for White, further cementing his decision to make this Winter Olympics his last. White has had to deal with a bout of COVID-19, a bum ankle and poor results which left his roster spot very much in doubt until a final qualifying meet in Switzerland two weeks ago. His podium finish in the Laax Open secured his spot on the U.S. Olympic Team.
White has been training in Colorado ahead of Beijing and his coach J.J. Thomas, who’s only five years older than White and won a bronze medal in Salt Lake City twenty years ago, is proud of the work White has put in.
“I think he’s doing a great job of taking it for what it is and just enjoying the curtain call,” Thomas told the Associated Press. “I’ve been really proud of him, just his whole attitude and his performances too.”
It remains to be seen whether White will get his fairytale ending with a fourth gold medal on February 11. Truthfully, any color medal would be a great accomplishment considering all the factors working against him this time.
After 20 years of proving the doubters wrong, White’s legacy is secure regardless of what happens in Beijing. Does he have enough left in the tank for one final shot at glory? Oh yes.
“There’s just a lot motivating me now that wasn’t there before. Or at least it’s a lot different,” White said.
The Flight of the Tomato is ready for takeoff.
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