Australian snowboarding icon Scotty James was left in tears as his dream of capturing an elusive Olympic gold medal evaded him once again.
James entered the third and final run knowing he needed a perfect run to knock off Japan’s Yuto Totsuka.
For the majority of his run he had pieced it all together, but on the final trick the Aussie ran out of pipe and crashed as the heartbreak of the moment sunk in.
James stayed down on the snow hunched over before slowly making his way over to his rivals who soaked in the victory.
It wasn’t to be for Scotty. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Fellow Aussie Valentino Guseli faltered in his opening two runs but put it all together in the third and final run as he scored an 88 to finish in fifth place in the final.
While the 20-year-old proved he is going to be a force to be reckoned with, it was James’ heartbreak that became the talking point.
The 31-year-old entered the final as the overwhelming favourite coming off his X-Games gold medal.
After sliding out on run one, James produced a staggering second run and threw his arms into the air believing he had done what was required.
“Some runs make the highlight reel but some runs create history,” Mitch Tomlinson said for Nine. “Scotty James has just delivered a TKO!”
The judges however saw it slightly differently and scored him a 93.50 which sat him behind Totsuka’s second run of 95.
Recap the entire event below.
Despite being heartbroken, Scotty James put on a brave face as he spoke after receiving his silver medal in the men’s halfpipe final.
James put down a stunning second run but his score wasn’t enough to get the job done with the Aussie sliding out in his third and final run.
“I’m really proud honestly, I’m a bit disappointed you know,” James said to Nine.
“It is what it is, the show goes on. The sun rises tomorrow and my little boy will need me and he won’t care what medal is around my neck. We keep going.”
Scotty James’ second run had the commentary crew up and out of their chairs after he produced back-to-back 1440s.
“Some runs make the highlight reel but some runs create history,” Mitch Tomlinson said for Nine. “Scotty James has just delivered a TKO!”
The 31-year-old landed a switch backside 1440 directly into a backside 1440, the only rider in the competition to land the insane sequence.
But it wasn’t the knockout blow Aussies had hoped with the scores flashing a 93.50, only enough to put James in second place.
Valentino Guseli finished in fifth place in the final after piecing together a stunning final run, with the 20-year-old speaking after the event.
Guseli said the bright lights caught the field off guard with many faltering in their runs.
“I think when it’s something like this, everyone wants to win and … we all jumped the gun a little bit,” he said to Nine.
“Even Scotty, you know, he didn’t get his first run – (he) pushed really hard. And then yeah unfortunately didn’t get his last one either.”
Scotty James has fallen agonisingly short of claiming an elusive gold medal with the Aussie finishing second behind Japan’s Yuto Totsuka.
The Aussie gave it his all on his third and final run down the halfpipe but on his final trick he slid out and with it went his chances of securing the gold.
James fell to the snow and stayed down for a long time as the heartbreak of the moment sunk in.
Australian snowboard icon Torah Bright was left in tears in the commentary box as James walked away dejected and embraced his family who were waiting at the bottom of the halfpipe.
Valentino Guseli faltered in his opening two runs, but he put it all together in his third and final time down the halfpipe.
The 20-year-old showed nerves of steel as he nailed his run when it mattered the most and when the lights were the brightest.
After sitting at the bottom of the leaderboard entering the run, Guseli scored an 88 to launch himself into fifth place.
Guseli was disappointed when the score flashed up as he finishes just outside the medal chances, but this kid has an insane future ahead.
Two runs down and everything is on the line for Scotty James and Valentino Guseli.
After both slid out on their final trick the first time down, things got worse for Guseli on run two. The 20-year-old crashed out after his second trick attempt and remains down the order.
“Landed too far down in that transition and could not hold on,” Torah Bright said on Nine.
But for James it was arms raised as he pulled off the run he had been hoping for. While the run was immaculate, it wasn’t enough to launch him into the gold medal spot.
Leaderboard – third run underway
Gold: Yuto Totsuka (JPN) – 95.00
Silver: Scotty James (AUS) – 93.50
Bronze: Ryusei Yamada (JPN) – 92.00
Valentino Guseli and Scotty James suffered a similar fate during their opening runs of the men’s snowboard halfpipe final.
Both men threw everything they had at it down the pipe, but it was on their final tricks where they came unstuck with both men failing to land cleanly and sliding out.
“Baffling and heartbreaking for Val on his first run. He just didn’t quite get the execution on that run,” Tomlinson said.
Torah Bright added: “That was out of this world Val, you just need to land it.”
Scotty James is ready to leave it all out there in his quest to secure his first Olympic gold medal.
Despite being the hot favourite, the 31-year-old knows this field will bring it and anybody in the final could snag the ultimate prize.
“I think the top six, anyone can win and I don’t think that’s been the case before,” James said.
“Usually it’s one or two people who kind of had a chance to win, so I think this time around it’s going to be an amazing battle.”
