CYPRESS, British Columbia — In the end, Shaun White was so dominant, he didn't even need the trick everyone had been waiting to see to repeat as Olympic gold medalist.
"I came all the way to Vancouver to do something amazing, and I felt like a righteous victory lap was in order," said White after he earned his second gold medal in the half-pipe competition with a score of 48.4. Peetu Piirionen, from Finland, a country that doesn't even have a halfpipe, won silver with a 45 points.
White's teammate Scott Lago won the bronze with a score of 42.8.
"I feel great," said a jovial White as he made his way through throngs of reporters for more than an hour. "I can't even describe it. It's one of those things where, I can't even begin to tell you, or begin to describe how many times I've gone over this run in my mind, gone over this competition in my head, imagined what it would be like. I can finally go do sleep now."
He said he never considered not throwing his trademark trick, a McTwist 1260 that he now calls the Tomahawk. It won him the Grand Prix title, and even though he had enough points on his first run to win the competition, he gave the crowd what he'd promised at the end of the second run.
"My coach just told me that if I was going to go for it, I'd better land it," he said joking about how he gets "lazy" when it doesn't matter. "And I aim to please. So there it was."
White said he'd never been more nervous before a competition.
"I definitely was out there with my head a little shaken up because it's the Olympics and there is so much going on," he said, admitting his hands were shaking before his final run. "Even on the bus ride here people were saying, 'So you're the guy to beat?' It feels weird being me answering that question, 'Yeah, I guess I am the guy to beat.' I am just glad I had the goods to deliver. I am proud to make it this far. I don't think I've ever worked this hard in my life."
Lago was thrilled to earn a bronze medal, something he wasn't sure was possible just a few days ago.
"I couldn't be any happier with third," said Lago. "I am dedicating this to Kevin Pearce and Danny Davis of the Friends crew. I really wish they were here with me. I did it all for those guys and the crew and for America.
"It just didn't feel that tangible. Olympic medal, Come on! You can't really do that!' But I just kind of lived in the moment, blocked everything out and took it one hit at a time. It worked out for me."
All four of the U.S. men qualified for finals, with Sandy's Louie Vito finishing fifth with a score of 39.4 points. Greg Bretz, just 19 years old, finished 12th after falling on both runs.
"You go in there and you set your goals high," said a visibly disappointed Vito. "One of my goals was to make finals and I did that. Another goal was to put down a run and I did that. I am stoked for Shaun and Scotty. I wish I was up there with them, but I'm not."
He said he plans to work that much harder to earn another shot at Olympic gold.
"This is going to light a fire even more," he said. "I want to come back and get a medal. I felt I had it within my grasp, but I just couldn't put it together. I am young and I will be ready for the next one."
Lago said the fact that any one of the four could have been on the podium proves the U.S. team really is deep and talented.
"It's not luck," said Lago. "
e-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com