White finishes third in a head-scratching Olympic qualifier

Posted December 09, 2017 6:00 am

The Associated Press

COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. (AP) - Two-time Olympic gold medalist Shaun White says he walked away a bit puzzled after a third-place finish in the opening Olympic qualifier for the Americans on the halfpipe.

White scored 89.25 points Saturday on a clean run that included a front-double 1400 jump and his signature Double McTwist 1260, but still finished behind American Ben Ferguson and the winner, 2014 Olympic silver medalist Ayumu Hirano of Japan.

White said he felt good about his runs.

"I'm a little confused right now," he said about the third-place score.

This was the first of five Olympic qualifiers and White's third-place finish certainly won't hurt his chances of making the Olympic team.

Chloe Kim led a U.S. sweep on the women's side. She scored a 93.75 to beat out Maddie Mastro and 2002 Olympic champion Kelly Clark.

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