Australian flagbearer Scotty James has easily advanced to the men’s snowboard halfpipe final at the Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, as Shaun White staked a claim for a third gold medal.
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But his achievements on snow have also seemingly rubbed up his rivals with Australian snowboarder Scotty James – one of the favourites for halfpipe gold in South Korea alongside White – claiming the American was overmarked for his flawless score in Colorado.
For White, who is chasing a record third Olympic snowboarding gold medal, qualifying was all about finishing first so that he gets the chance to send down the very last run in the final.
White, meanwhile, made an excellent start in halfpipe final, scoring 94.25 with his first run.
Australia’s Scott James completed the medal line-up with a respectable 92.00 score for bronze.
They will look to prevent the red-headed American from winning his third Olympic gold medal.
The US have won all four snowboarding gold medals awarded at Pyeongchang 2018 thus far. As the final rider of the day, White eclipsed both James and Hirano to keep the top spot heading into the finals. He told reporters at the time that he felt like he was “burning out”.
“I was stoked to put that (first) run down”, White said, according to NBC.
The final was full of flashpoints, including White’s stunning finish, Hirano’s brilliance and a sickening incident that saw Japanese 16-year-old Yuto Totsuka rushed to hospital.
The Flying Tomato began his run flying down the left side of the halfpipe. The event will take place at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Korea, which is 8 p.m. ET Tuesday for viewers in the USA during NBC’s primetime Olympics lineup. White received 100 at the U.S. Grand Prix on January 13, a score that is only given to the final rider if warranted to leave judges with room to maneuver in a sport without start values.
“I knew I had it in me, I watched these young guys putting these wonderful runs in and it fired me up”.
‘I’ve got a lot more to give.
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“You know honestly, I’m here to talk about the Olympics, not gossip so, I don’t think so”, White said, when asked if the lawsuit would tarnish his reputation.
