Shaun White Took an Emotional Halfpipe Run at Milan Cortina Games, and Fans Loved it

Shaun White's prolific Olympic career came to an end at the 2022 Beijing Games, where he finished fourth in the halfpipe. The legendary snowboarder appeared in five Olympics, winning three gold medals in the halfpipe and cementing his status as the GOAT of the sport.

White, 39, has been at the Milan Cortina Games filling a few different roles for NBC and was seen watching Chloe Kim battling out in the women's halfpipe final on Thursday. While he has been enjoying his new gig, this week he was able to go back to his roots and attempt one very special run in the halfpipe.

NBC filmed his run, which happened at night and with nobody in attendance. It was a dramatic scene that left White emotional before he dropped into the halfpipe and after he completed his flawless run.

"I can’t believe it’s been 20 years, 20 years, since I first competed in Torino in 2006 for my first medal," White said. "It’s been a little bittersweet, but still sweet. I’d be lying to say I didn’t dream about potentially competing [at the Milan Cortina Games].

At the end he added: "I miss it. I miss it so much."

Here's the video of White's run:

Shaun White returned to a place that was all too familiar to him in Italy. pic.twitter.com/MIwRB1XzUz
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 13, 2026

Fans loved seeing that:

Oh I full on cried. I miss the excitement of getting to watch him compete. It was so fun having a local guy in the Olympics. The energy he had and how much he really changed this sport. It’s just not the same without him! 😭 https://t.co/jxtotp6TJZ
— Kaylynn Michelle (@KaysPromotions) February 13, 2026

Wish we would see other moments like this with all-time greats of sport. The human side of stepping away from something that you dominated for years. https://t.co/D1BwdVQQJq
— Beau McCoy (@BeauRMcCoy) February 13, 2026