"Three out of five is not bad," commented the three-time American Olympic champion in five appearances, his green eyes misty and his throat choking with sobs.

Even though he hadn't touched the top of the pipe and crashed in the very last run of his career, a fourth gold medal seemed out of reach.

Ayumu Hirano, the first and only snowboarder on the planet to have successfully completed a triple cork in competition, landed three in the final.

Including the last of these triple somersaults combined with four turns on itself in the final passage of the competition to take the lead.

"I wanted more today obviously," Shaun White, 35, said.

"I'm still proud of what I've done. I can't help but think that if I had been on the podium in third position, I would have wanted to be second. If I had been second, I would have liked first place. It's just the fighter in me. I always want more. But, I'm proud, fourth, it's great."

He will not add yet another medal to his unparalleled list of achievements, in addition to his three Olympic titles (2006, 2010 and 2018), 13 gold medals at the Winter X Games, the flagship event for extreme winter sports. , a record.

And even two others at the Summer X Games, in skateboarding.

Snowboarder Shaun White after the last run of his career on February 11, 2022 at the Beijing Olympics Marco BERTORELLO AFP

Shaun White leaves another trace than this enumeration.

How many athletes have embodied their discipline to such an extent?

This face, topped with a red mane - since disciplined - which earned him the nicknames of "Flying Tomato" or "Red Zeppelin", was that of snowboarding in the middle of its golden age.

"The best competition in history"

“His heritage shines through in every rider here,” delivers his compatriot Taylor Gold, 5th Friday.

"We do all these tricks partly because of him. He was a huge influence on me when I was little. He was my idol when I was 10 or 11."

Ayumu Hirano, 23, may be the next generation.

The double Olympic vice-champion finally took gold with a score of 96.00 points ahead of the Australian Scotty James (92.50) and the Swiss Jan Scherrer (87.25), also on the podium thanks to a new figure in competition.

Olympic half-pipe snowboard champion Ayumu Hirano on February 11, 2022 on the podium at the Beijing Olympics Marco BERTORELLO AFP

Scherrer signed a double alley-oop rodeo 1080, a double back-flip combined with three turns on himself, while catching his board with both hands.

"It was the best half-pipe contest in history, hands down," judge Taylor Gold.

A symbolic handover also between Shaun White and Ayumu Hirano, his dolphin in Pyeongchang four years ago.

"What a run! That triple (cork) was amazing," praised Shaun White.

"It was the biggest challenge of the day. To succeed in this run, I know how much he wanted it. His time has come. I'm happy for him, really".

"These young riders have been on my heels all this time, blows the "Red Zeppelin", his eyes reddened. Seeing them finally surpass me is, I think, what I always wanted deep down inside me: finally be beaten so that I can leave without saying to myself + I could have done it +”.

© 2022 AFP