Laax, Switzerland, January 15 (Xinhua) -- In Lux, Switzerland, the last snowboarding U-shaped venue skills World Cup competition before the Beijing Winter Olympics was held here. There is no doubt that Sean White is the biggest star. From the start of the preliminaries, whenever the live DJ reads the name of the snowboarding legend, the entire summit erupts in enthusiastic cheers.
Champion Japan's Hirano Bumon (center), runner-up Switzerland's Jan Scherer (left) and runner-up American Sean White at the U-Shaped Men's Division ceremony on Jan. 15. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Cheng
In the final on the 15th, White finished third, the first time he stood on the podium after the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Although the results are not as dazzling as at his peak, it is enough for him to lock in a ticket to the Beijing Winter Olympics. In February, White will start his fifth Winter Olympic journey at the age of 35, when he will be the oldest Olympian ever in the event.
"For so long, the whole world has been in the haze of the epidemic, and fortunately we still have the Olympic Games, which is a remarkable thing." White said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency.
"For a veteran like me, there's really not much left in my career. If the Winter Olympics were postponed by a year, I might not be able to participate. So I am very grateful to China, to the Olympic family, for hosting the Winter Olympics at such a difficult time. White said.
On Jan. 15, American Sean White played in the U-shaped men's final. He finished third with 84.00 points. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Cheng
In terms of athletic performance, White is undoubtedly one of the greatest athletes in the history of snowboarding. The 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver won the U-shaped venue title, which made him a sensation. At the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, White's lack of opportunity to receive the podium once made people think that his era was over, but the "flying tomato" staged the return of the king in PyeongChang four years later, winning his third Olympic gold medal at the age of 31, shocking the world.
In addition to his achievements on the field, White has spared no effort to promote snowboarding off the field, especially in China. In 2010, the "Boiling Snow" event landed in China, and as the owner of the event, White also had more opportunities to come here and formed a deep relationship with Beijing.
"In 2008, when I was very young, I saw the Beijing Olympics on TV and was attracted. I am a 'die-hard fan' of China and am very familiar with the city of Beijing. I'm thrilled to be back in Beijing again, and still as an athlete. "Snowboarding was still a very trendy sport in China before, but it has developed rapidly over the years, not only the talents shown by the athletes on the field, but also more and more ordinary fans and fans who have begun to love this sport." Hopefully, after the Winter Olympics, I can still go to China often. ”
Pictured here on February 11, 2010, The Turin Winter Olympics men's U-slot champion and American seam white is interviewed at the event. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Chen Xiaowei
There was a small detail in the interview that day, after the reporter said that he was Chinese, White immediately excitedly said "hello" with Chinese, and then took the initiative to say that he could not wait to go to Beijing to participate in the Winter Olympics.
In fact, before coming to Laax, White's trip to the Beijing Winter Olympics was once marked with a question mark — a week earlier at Mammoth Mountain, White had claimed to be unwell after qualifying, had given up on the final, and he had announced that he had contracted COVID-19 in December.
But when White finally got on the slopes of the Laax race, all doubts vanished.
"I'm lucky that covid-19 didn't affect me for long. Now I'm feeling much better, though not at my best. If I could have had more time to train and prepare, maybe today I could win the championship. But then, it's the Winter Olympics. White said.
Pictured here is The American Sean White celebrating after the game on February 14, 2018. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Fei Maohua
With four places on the U.S. team to compete in the Men's Snowboard U-Field Skills Competition at the Beijing Winter Olympics, White is currently in exactly fourth place among all American players. The U.S. national team coach will meet on the 17th to discuss the final roster of the U.S. team. Whether considering the world rankings or personal influence, it's almost certain that White will lock in a spot.
In an interview with the US media earlier, White has made it clear that this will be his last Winter Olympics. At the Chongli Genting Arena in February, we will wait and see what kind of Olympic curtain performance "Flying Tomatoes" will bring.
Editors: Ding Wenxian, Huang Xuguo, Zhao Jiantong, Tian Wen (Intern)