With Olympics Waiting, White Climbs The Podium In Laax
Jan 15, 2022, 4:28 PM
Shaun White of Team United States practices prior to the Men's Snowboard Halfpipe Final at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain on January 08, 2022 in Mammoth, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
AP – 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.
White did not try his toughest combination of tricks in Saturday’s final, but his back-to-back 1080s and his signature Double McTwist 1260 were part of an opening run that scored an 84 and was enough for third.
SHAUN WHITE HAS ARRIVED‼️@usskiteam | #LaaxOpen pic.twitter.com/z2REQjEfVi
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) January 15, 2022
White didn’t try any flips on his second run.
The 35-year-old came into the event as the fourth-ranked American on the World Snowboarding Points list.
By finishing as the top American in Laax, it virtually guarantees he’ll earn one of the four men’s halfpipe spots for the U.S. team that will be named next week.
