“I Wanted That Medal Before I Made My Exit”: Days After the Release of ‘The Last Run’ Shaun White Discloses the Story of a Retirement That Never Happened

Three-time Olympic gold medalist Shaun White disclosed his last wish before retiring from snowboarding. The snowboarding legend had an exhilarating journey as a young athlete in the sport. At 7, White entered the professional ground and participated in every competition winnable in his two decades-spanning career. He retired with a global image as a successful snowboarder winning the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Gold Medal Gala in 2022.

The former multi-sport sportsman hinted at retirement on multiple occasions before making the official announcement. Now, an entrepreneur and promoter of his biography is sharing some insights while promoting his docu-series. In one of his interviews, he revealed how quitting the Games seemed like a setback.

Shaun White recalls an explicit memory from a decade ago

In a snippet of the interview with CBS Mornings, the retired snowboarder recalled withdrawing from the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia in 2014. Being at the prime of his career, White felt the need to add just one more medal before retiring. Talking about his immediate thoughts from that time he said, “Things just didn’t go the way I’d hoped I wanted that medal before I made my exit.” Although, the decision was taken by him given the safety issues of the location.

Alpine skier Lindsey Vonn also confirmed her departure from the competition due to a knee issue before White did. The bad news angered the duo’s supporters, who even blamed the organizers for the perilous slopes in Russia. Even though the course was eventually modified, some competitors were hurt. White stated at the time that he didn’t want to risk his future Olympic plans after seeing others suffer severe injuries.

Previously at the 2006 Winter Olympics, White won a gold medal in the half-pipe event. The course was a roller coaster ride for him as he neared disqualification after his first run later winning big at the finals. His promise was well-established in the sport which continued in the 2010 Olympics where he continued his winning streak in the competition. He continued to win gold in the 2018 Olympics despite a life-threatening accident. Finally, White drifted into the Beijing Olympic trials as the oldest competitor.

Shaun White’s impressive stats in the Games and ventures post-retirement

White’s tenacity is admirable despite the tragedy in the US Olympics in 2018. It’s interesting to note that his victory at the 2018 Winter Olympics was his nation’s 100th medal. He further cleared the 2022 Olympics trails in his competition with the newest lot of competitors, moving closer to his fourth Olympic title. In the half-pipeline, he came in fourth place, matching his Olympic victory in Sochi. Throughout his career, he showcased his amazing glides at the Olympics in Turin, Vancouver, Sochi, and Beijing.

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The 23 X Games medalist is currently enjoying his retirement with his long-time girlfriend Nina Dobrev. The two are busy managing their businesses and upcoming series promotion. His series “Shaun White: The last run” is a four-part docu-series on White’s skateboarding and snowboarding career which premiered on MAX in July 2023.

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