Shaun White Addresses Comeback Talk As He Heads To 2026 Olympics

Shaun White has already secured his place as one of the greatest snowboarders of all time, but as the 2026 Winter Olympics approach, the five-time Olympian is proving he’s still very much part of the Games, even if he’s no longer chasing medals. The three-time Olympic gold medalist officially retired from competitive snowboarding following the 2022 Beijing Games, closing the chapter on a career that included iconic highs, heartbreaking losses, and one final emotional run. Now, four years later, Shaun White is preparing to attend his first Olympics as a non-competitor, fueling speculation about whether the door to a comeback is truly closed.

The 2026 Winter Olympics will mark the first Games Shaun White attends without strapping into a board. While he expects emotions to run high in Livigno, the Italian town hosting all snowboarding events, White will be busy covering the action as an NBC commentator.

White spoke with PEOPLE while celebrating Ralph Lauren’s Team USA collection for the upcoming Milan Games. A longtime ambassador for the brand, White said returning to the Olympic environment will be meaningful, even if it’s from the sidelines. But when it comes to getting back into competitive snowboarding, White didn’t sugarcoat the reality.

Before even entertaining the idea of competing again, White joked that his body would need some serious preparation. "Oh, my goodness. Did you see me do this? That was just my back," White joked while cracking his joints, per the outlet. "It would take a lot of stretching... A lot of red light therapy."

While fans may love the idea of a comeback, especially after ski star Lindsey Vonn returned to competition in her 40s, White made it clear that stepping back into Olympic-level training wouldn’t be a casual decision. "It would take some weird breakthrough, of like, me seeing something and getting really inspired, because you got to push everything aside and just make this thing your life's focus... and there's so much going on in my world," he said.

White previously reflected on the emotional weight of retiring, a choice shaped by both triumph and unfinished business. “It was a heavy decision,” White said, explaining that he initially planned to retire after Sochi if he won gold. "But I ended up going home with no medals."

He continued, "I was ready to finish this whole journey and put a nice ribbon on it and walk away, and now here I am, not satisfied with the finish and still unmotivated to compete. What do I do now? And that was a really interesting turning point in my life, because what do you do in that kind of situation?"

Ultimately, White chose to step away, even if the ending wasn’t as golden as he once imagined.

Since retiring four years ago, White has been carving out a new path, both on and off the snow. A major part of that journey includes his longstanding partnership with Ralph Lauren, which is once again outfitting Team USA for the Olympics.

"It's their tenth consecutive Olympics [outfitting Team USA], so Ralph's doing it big. Polo, it's amazing," White said. "And honestly, as someone that's competed at the Olympics and had to wear other sponsored outfits before, by far, Ralph just crushed it when they came in."

"I was so thrilled to see them take over," he added. "Everybody on the team loves the gear!"

The 2026 Winter Olympics are set to officially begin on February 6, 2026, with the Opening Ceremony taking place in Italy as Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo co-host the Games.

Competition will run through February 22, 2026, bringing more than two weeks of winter sports action, including snowboarding events in Livigno, where Shaun White will be on site covering the Games as an NBC commentator rather than a competitor.