From wows to shock to tears to relief, it was an emotional night in the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Shaun White took his final snowboarding run, ending a legendary career with his helmet held high, Ayumu Hirano made history by landing a ground-breaking triple cork and then landing it two more times for gold after a stunning scoring controversy, a world record was set by a young snowboarder whose height in the Games was unmatched, and Mikaela Shiffrin came back from a shocking start to the Games to compete in the women's Super-G.
Here are some of the biggest, epic and most emotional of the night.
Competitors Line Up to Congratulate Shaun White, One of Snowboarding's Greatests, on a Legendary Career
Shaun White may not have ended his career with a medal, but his spot at the top of snowboarding history was undeniable - even for his competitors.
As White ended the last run of snowboarding career in the 2022 Winter Olympics, competitors lined the bottom of the halfpipe to congratulate the snowboarding great on a legacy like no other.
Watch Shaun White's Final Olympic Snowboarding Runs
White, who has three gold medals to his credit, didn’t get back on the medal stand this time, falling on his last run and finishing just outside of the top three spots.
After the fall, he held his helmet in the air and ended on an emotional note. The crowd at the halfpipe event cheered as White appeared tearful waiting for his final score.
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His second run was his best, scoring an 85 and vaulting him into second place:
Third run ended with a fall, but he gave the crowd a final salute as he made his way off the halfpipe:
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White ultimately finished in fourth place, just 2.25 points out of a bronze medal finish.
Watch Snowboarder Ayumu Hirano Overcome Scoring Controversy to Win Olympic Gold
Ayumu Hirano won his first Olympic gold medal in the men's snowboarding halfpipe final on Thursday night.
And he needed to overcome some harsh scoring from the judges to do so.
'Relieved' Mikaela Shiffrin Lets It All Out After Super-G
While Mikaela Shiffrin didn't medal in the women's super-G on Thursday night, her run was still a valuable one.
The two-time gold medalist and three-time medalist had a nightmarish start to the 2022 Winter Games. She skied out during her first run in both the slalom and giant slalom, the latter of which she was the reigning Olympic champion in.
Ayumu Hirano's Second Run Raises Questions Over Scoring
A two-time silver medalist in the event, Hirano hit a triple cork during a stunning second run.
Many, including NBC snowboarding analyst Todd Richards, thought the run was worthy of putting Hirano into first place, with Richards calling it "the best run that's ever been done in the halfpipe."
But the judges didn't agree.
Hirano was given a score of 91.75
U.S. women overcome sloppy start, beat Czech Republic
The U.S. women’s hockey team got a major reality check on Friday.
Team USA escaped its quarterfinal matchup with a 4-1 win over the Czech Republic at the Wukesong Sports Center. The Americans held an eye-popping 59-6 shot advantage for the game, but Czech goalie Klara Peslarova held strong in net with 54 saves.
The first period was all Team USA, but the team could not get past Peslarova. The U.S. was up 18-0 in shots at the end of the opening frame.
Hear Shaun White Reflect on His Olympic Legacy, Officially Retire in Interview
Legendary snowboarder Shaun White reflected on his legacy after placing fourth in his fifth and final Winter Olympics. White retires with three Olympic gold medals to his name, all in snowboarding halfpipe.
"Yeah, I'm retired, that's the last of it," said White after the final.
“Every step of the way has been great,” White said. “I’m not looking at it from today, I’m looking at it as a whole.”
Scotty James Wins Silver in Controversial Halfpipe Finish
Scotty James of Australia took silver in a controversial finish.
James earned a score of 92.50 on his second run and was immediately followed up by Ayumu Hirano. The two-time defending silver medalist seemingly had a better run, which included the first ever triple cork in Olympic halfpipe history, and should have moved into first place. However, the judges gave him a score of 91.75.
“This is going to end up being triple-gate,” NBC commentator Todd Richards said after the score was posted. “People are already going absolutely crazy about this.”
Whatever craziness Hirano might have been feeling about the score was channeled into his final run. The 23-year-old took things up a notch once again and landed another triple on his way to a 96.00, gold-clinching score.
