Swiss Iouri Podladtchikov produced one of the big upsets of the Olympics as he dethroned superstar Shaun White to win men’s snowboard halfpipe gold on Tuesday.
American White, the two-time defending champion, didn’t even make it onto the podium as he was shunted off by a pair of Japanese teenagers.
Podladtchikov scored a mammoth 94.75 points with 15-year-old Ayumu Hirano second on 93.50 and 18-year-old Taku Hiraoka third on 92.25.
Hirano and Hiraoka became the first ever Asian medallists in Olympic snowboarding.
White, who had scored 95.75 in topping the heats, hit the lip of the pipe on his first run and touched down with his backside on his second, finishing fourth with a score of 90.25.
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