It will not be wrong to say that former president Donald Trump’s tenure has upset many Americans. Some celebrities could not entertain Trump as POTUS and his tweets. One of them was former skateboarder Tony Hawk. In 2018, before the Winter Olympics, Hawk expressed that he expected snowboarder Shaun White to win and bring joy to a divided America.
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Five-time Olympian Shaun White is one of the greatest snowboarders. Before his retirement in the 2022 Winter Olympics, White claimed many titles to his name. He is a three-Olympic gold medalist. He is also the world record holder of most X Games gold medals and most Olympic gold medals by a snowboarder.
What did Tony Hawk say to Shaun White?
Before the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, former skateboarder Tony Hawk expressed that the political lines in the US had divided the country. He believed that only snowboarder Shaun White’s victory could bring escape from the hate that was spreading throughout the country.
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In an interview with Bleacher Report Magazine, Hawk stated:
“This is his fourth Olympics, right?”
He added:
“Just that story alone is enough to engage people and make them maybe focus on this as opposed to the tweet storm.”
He also expressed:
“My hope for the Olympics is that Shaun wins and the president doesn’t tweet about it. It’ll provide some relief, I think, and it’ll make people proud. But it will give them hope, too.”
By 2018, Shaun White was a 13 Winter X Games gold medalist and a two-time Olympic gold medalist as well. He stated in another interview with Bleacher Report Magazine that he was proud of the two medals that he had won so far. Moreover, he was going to win more medals and make his country prouder.
Tony Hawk and Shaun White’s bonding dates back to when the snowboarder was nine years old. Hawk met White at a skate park and trained him in skateboarding. He was White’s biggest idol and under him; he won many skateboarding medals as well.
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What did White do after hearing Hawk’s comments?
After knowing about Hawk’s comments, White stated that he was not thinking about any political lines. He was more focused on performing his best in the Olympics. Think about anything else that would distract him.
Watch This Story: Michael Phelps, Shaun White, Lindsey Vonn – Comparing Olympian’s Extraordinary Watch Collection
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That year, White won his third gold medal in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. He won in the half-pipe category and became the first snowboarder to win three Olympic gold medals.