Shaun White’s last Olympics hurrah comes in halfpipe final

By NOAH TRISTER
AP Sports Writer

BEIJING (AP) — NBC can breathe a sigh of relief after Shaun White reached the final of the halfpipe. The snowboarding star’s finale is set for Thursday night in prime time, although it almost happened earlier. He fell on his first attempt in qualifying but rebounded on his next run to avoid elimination. With Mikaela Shiffrin struggling on the ski slopes — and sounding uncertain about competing in the super-G — White could end up as the only major headliner Thursday night. If Shiffrin competes, the super-G will also be compelling as she tries to rebound after lasting about 15 seconds combined in her first two races.