See How Ayumu Hirano Made Olympic History in Halfpipe to Win Gold

ZHANGJIAKOU, China — ​​Landing a triple cork for the first time in Olympic history, Ayumu Hirano of Japan solidified his place as the world’s best snowboarder with his final run at the Beijing Games, finishing atop a field of competitors that included the greatest of all time, Shaun White.

The triple cork was considered the next-level trick of these Olympics. Only Hirano had landed it in a competition earlier this winter, but he fell later during that run. No one had landed the triple cork and completed a contest run upright — until now.

Hirano is small in stature, and his triple cork was a tight ball. It consisted of three flips performed on an off-axis rotation (like a corkscrew), and Hirano did it while grabbing his board with both hands.

It was a feat of athleticism so daring that no other competitor even tried it. Hirano did it without hesitation, landing it as the opening maneuver on all three of his runs.

The men’s halfpipe final at Genting Snow Park was one of the Olympics’ most anticipated events. Four Japanese snowboarders had realistic chances for places on the podium, and Australia’s Scotty James came hungry for a gold medal. And then there was White, the three-time gold medalist, who was making his final Olympics appearance.

Competitors made three runs in the final. Only their best score counted.

Having landed his run’s premier trick comfortably and with speed, Hirano — maybe the world’s smoothest rider through the transition zone between tricks — moved on to another difficult one that he lands with regularity: the Cab Double Cork 1440.

It was a twist on a familiar trick among top riders, the Frontside Double 1260. But Hirano did it switch, with his usual front foot in back, and added half a rotation. Few can do it.

Now Hirano was cruising, building momentum through his run. But none of what he had performed so far would matter if he couldn’t land his last three tricks. The Frontside Double Cork 1260, common to the men’s field, is another off-axis trick — midway between a spin and a flip.

“The sort of touch and timing that he has is second to none,” said Mike Jankowski, the head coach of the United States freeski and snowboard teams. “He’s the best in the world right now, by far, and he deserved to win, 100 percent.”

White, the 35-year-old five-time Olympian who inspired many of his younger competitors, scored an 85 on his second run, good enough for fourth place and giving him hope for a storybook ending to his career.

On his third and final run, however, White attempted an ambitious ride that could put him on the medal stand one last time. But he fell on his second jump as he tried a Cab Double Cork 1440 Method, leaving him just short of his fourth Olympic medal in five tries. He took off his helmet to wave goodbye to his Olympic career.

“Coming out here at this stage in his career and going toe-to-toe with all these athletes and putting up a fourth place, it’s just incredible,” Jankowski said.