Shaun White, who redefined snowboarding for an entire generation, bows out to a standing ovation

Day 7 of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics

By Aditi Sangal, Matias Grez, Ben Church, Jessie Yeung, Adam Renton and Patrick Sung, CNN

Updated 6:11 p.m. ET, February 11, 2022
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10:23 p.m. ET, February 10, 2022

Shaun White, who redefined snowboarding for an entire generation, bows out to a standing ovation

Shaun White reacts after finishing his last run in the snowboard men's halfpipe final on Friday.
Shaun White reacts after finishing his last run in the snowboard men's halfpipe final on Friday. (Marco Bertorello/AFP/Getty Images)

Although snowboarding superstar Shaun White failed to win a medal at the halfpipe finals today, he was met with a standing ovation as the legend — who has been the face of the sport for almost two decades — bows out.

After falling, he rode to the bottom, where he was met with applause from everyone in the crowd — fans, officials, journalists, other athletes and teams, and volunteers.

He was clearly emotional at the bottom of the halfpipe, smiling at the crowd and wiping away tears.

White had been under high pressure today after coming in fourth at the qualifying earlier this week — and he faced tough competition from a number of emerging new stars, including the three medalists.

White has competed in every Olympics since his debut in 2006, winning gold in all but one. He announced last week he will retire after the Beijing Games, citing a spate of injuries collected over his long and illustrious career.

"I don't know how many kids really aspire to be a cowboy and get to be a cowboy," he told reporters last week in Beijing. "At a young age, snowboarding is what I wanted more than anything, and to be walking in these shoes today is just incredible. It feels so amazing. I'm so proud."

Read more about Shaun White's final Olympic appearance:

10:19 p.m. ET, February 10, 2022

Ayumu Hirano lands first ever triple cork in halfpipe history as he takes the gold in an epic final

Japan's Ayumu Hirano wins the snowboard men's halfpipe final on Friday.
Japan's Ayumu Hirano wins the snowboard men's halfpipe final on Friday. (Marco Bertorello/AFP/Getty Images)

Japan's Ayumu Hirano swept to victory on Friday at the snowboarding halfpipe, landing not one but two triple cork 1440s — an immensely difficult and technical trick that had never before been landed in Olympic history.

The 23-year-old also landed a frontside, a cab, two double cork 1260s and a frontside double cork 1440 — a flawless run that was given a final score of 96.

He narrowly beat Australia's Scotty James, who also performed well on his final of three runs — but he lost some speed, placing him in a solid silver position.

Hirano's younger brother, 19-year-old Kaishu Hirano, was also competing in the halfpipe finals today. Though he crashed out in the last run, he also pulled off an incredible jump that launched him several meters into the air, to roaring applause from the crowd.

10:05 p.m. ET, February 10, 2022

Japan's Ayumu Hirano wins gold with dramatic final run in snowboarding halfpipe

Japan's Ayumu Hirano wins the snowboard men's halfpipe final on Friday.
Japan's Ayumu Hirano wins the snowboard men's halfpipe final on Friday. (Marco Bertorello/AFP/Getty Images)

Japan's Ayumu Hirano has won the snowboarding halfpipe with a massive score of 96, narrowly beating out Australia's Scotty James.

Switzerland's Jan Scherrer takes bronze, with US legend Shaun White just inched out of the podium at fourth place.

10:03 p.m. ET, February 10, 2022

Snowboarding great Shaun White fails to win a medal at final Winter Olympics

Shaun White gestures after his final run in the snowboard men's halfpipe final on Friday.
Shaun White gestures after his final run in the snowboard men's halfpipe final on Friday. (Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images)

Snowboarding legend Shaun White fell on his last run on the halfpipe, which places him out of reach of the podium at his final Olympic Games.

He landed a frontside 1440 to open, but couldn't land his next trick, and skated to the bottom to applause from fans in the crowd.

With a best second-run score of 85, he now sits in fourth place.

He announced last week he would retire after the Beijing Olympics, citing a spate of injuries.

White bows out as a five-time Olympian and three-time gold medalist in halfpipe.

9:44 p.m. ET, February 10, 2022

Japan's Kaishu Hirano almost went into orbit during the snowboard halfpipe finals

Japan’s Kaishu Hirano competes in the men's snowboard halfpipe final on Friday.
Japan’s Kaishu Hirano competes in the men's snowboard halfpipe final on Friday. (Sergei Bobylev/TASS/Getty Images)

Japan's Kaishu Hirano pulled off a massive jump during his final run at the snowboarding halfpipe, as the crowd roared its approval.

The 19-year-old hung in the air for several seconds, keeping his grab on his board until the last minute, achieving incredible height.

He fell after attempting another trick, with a third-run score of 15.75 — making his first-run score the best of three, at 75.5.

9:29 p.m. ET, February 10, 2022

Shaun White sits in fourth going into the final round of snowboard halfpipe

It's all change after the riders completed the second round of runs in the men's snowboarding half pipe.

Australia's Scotty James is in first place with a second-run score of 92.50, followed by Japan's Ayumu Hirano (91.75) and Switzerland's Jan Scherrer (87.25)

US legend Shaun White is in fourth with a best score of 85.

9:31 p.m. ET, February 10, 2022

Shaun White vaults into silver medal position on his second run in the halfpipe

Team USA’s Shaun White competes during the men's halfpipe final on Friday in Beijing.
Team USA’s Shaun White competes during the men's halfpipe final on Friday in Beijing. (Francisco Seco/AP)

US snowboarder Shaun White just smashed his second run on the halfpipe, nailing every trick to post a score of 85 and vault into the silver medal position.

He picked up his speed during the second run compared to the first, gaining big air and sticking stronger landings.

He still has one run to go, with the best score of three runs taken as the final result.

Currently, Australia's Scotty James is in first place with a second-run score of 92.50.

9:12 p.m. ET, February 10, 2022

Shaun White starts with a smooth first run in snowboard halfpipe

Team USA’s Shaun White competes during the men's halfpipe final on Friday in Beijing.
Team USA’s Shaun White competes during the men's halfpipe final on Friday in Beijing. (Matthias Schrader/AP)

Team USA's Shaun White had a successful first run at the snowboard halfpipe on Friday, pulling off all his tricks without much issue for a score of 72.

He included his signature trick, the Tomahawk — also known as the Double McTwist 1260 — which he unveiled during his victory lap at the 2010 Vancouver Games.

Though he landed slightly flat after a Cab Double Cork, the run puts him in fourth place.

The snowboarders have two runs left, with the best score among the three taken as their final result.

8:49 p.m. ET, February 10, 2022

Love in the time of Covid at Beijing 2022

Testing vials arranged to read "2022" and a heart shape, at a Covid-19 testing station inside the Beijing Olympic bubble.
Testing vials arranged to read "2022" and a heart shape, at a Covid-19 testing station inside the Beijing Olympic bubble. CNN

The mandatory daily Covid-19 test is usually the least pleasant part of the day for those inside Beijing's Olympic bubble.

But the experience turned into a moment of human connection for one CNN reporter, who showed up to the testing center to see a number of soon-to-be-used test vials arranged into the pattern of a heart and "2022."

It struck a contrast to previous days of testing, which felt sterile and impersonal, with volunteers and staff hidden behind layers of protective gear and face masks. When the reporter asked staff why they arranged the vials that way, they said they knew being tested daily was uncomfortable, and wanted to do something to make people feel more welcome.

When asked what the experience has been like for them so far, the staff responded that they missed their families — a sentiment our reporter could relate to. They pulled out their phones and showed each other photos of their families.

The demands of the bubble: The "closed loop" separates Olympic athletes, support staff, media and volunteers from the rest of the Beijing public — but the stringent requirements are exacting, with an especially high cost for Chinese volunteers.

The first batch of volunteers, including health care workers, drivers, cleaners and chefs, entered the bubble on Jan. 3 — and they're all required to stay until the Games end on Feb. 20. Once they leave the bubble, they must then undergo 21 days of strict quarantine at a designated facility.

That means they must spend more than two months away from family and had to miss Lunar New Year, which took place last week and is the biggest festival in China. It's the most important time for families to gather, likened by some to Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Years combined.