Sandy Snowboarder Louie Vito Barely Misses Halfpipe Final After Dramatic Qualifying Round
Feb 8, 2022, 11:34 PM
(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – Sandy, Utah native Louie Vito barely missed out on the snowboard halfpipe final after two competitors pushed him below the qualifying line.
The top 12 scores in the halfpipe snowboard event would qualify for the final and Louie Vito was right on the fence until the last race. Sitting at the 12th and final spot, Vito was pushed out by Chase Josey, who needed a big second run in order to qualify.
Josey posted a 69.50 in his second run beat out Vito’s 60.25. Vito fell on his second run and posted a score of 3.25. Shaun White was another snowboarder that jumped into the top 12 and pushed out Vito from the final. White fell on his first run, posting a score of 24.25 but was outstanding in his second run, recording an 86.25, which was good for fourth.
Vito is representing Italy in his second Winter Olympic Games in the halfpipe snowboarding competition. His first Olympic Games was in 2010 and is making his return to the Games after 12 years away.
🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐@shaunwhite x #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/Tn5AMHJCTT
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) February 9, 2022
The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics
Just a year after Japan’s summer Olympics, the Games are back for a winter show in Beijing, China. The unusually short gap between Games is due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Strict precautions and enforced virus prevention protocol are in place to help keep athletes, coaches and personnel safe.
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