White throws his arms in the air after hearing the winning score on his third run. (Clive Rose/Getty Images)
CNN  — 

Shaun White, the American snowboarding legend who won halfpipe gold in 2006 and 2010 but finished fourth in 2014, reclaimed his Olympic crown with a clutch performance on Wednesday.

White trailed Japan’s Ayumu Hirano going into his last run — the final run of the entire competition. But with all the pressure on him, White came through with a near-perfect score of 98.50.

After his score was announced, an emotional White celebrated his historic feat. He is the first American man to win gold medals at three Winter Games.

See more photos from White’s epic day:

White came up big when the pressure was on Wednesday. His final run included his trademark double McTwist 1260 alongside his own back-to-back 1440s. (Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
White was very emotional after clinching the gold on his final run. (David Ramos/Getty Images)
White takes off his snowboard after his last run. (Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
White acknowledges the crowd. (Clive Rose/Getty Images)
White knew he was in a good position to win after landing the final trick of his third run. (David Ramos/Getty Images)
White scored a 98.50 on his triumphant third run. (Loic Venance/AFP/Getty Images)
White poses with his gold medal -- the third of his career. (Mike Egerton/PA Images/Getty Images)