Jake Pates was going to have to beat a staggering finals field if he was to become the third teenage U.S. snowboarder to medal in the 2018 Olympic Games. As the No. 8 qualifier in a field of 12, Pates was joined by three other Americans including two-time gold medalist and halfpipe snowboarding legend Shaun White. The 19-year-old Pates put together a solid second run in the best-of-three finals format, but in the end it was not enough to medal.

Pates, of Eagle, Colo., was hoping to follow in the footsteps of Silverthorne’s Red Gerard and ladies halfpipe phenom Chloe Kim as the third teenager to earn a medal for the United States on a snowboard in PyeongChang, but the riders above him after qualifying were simply too good.

White was the top qualifier, and led the finals through the first round with a score of 94.25. Pates registered just a 47.00 on his first run, but bounced back with a clean second run. However, even his cleanest run was not big enough to put him in medal contention.

Pates opened his second run with a double off-axis “Michalchuk” followed by successive double-cork 1080s (the second backside). He wrapped the run with a frontside 900 into a double mic twist tail grab. It was a solid, consistent run, earning him a score of 82.25.

In his final run, Pates nailed his first trick — that same Michalcuk to open — but under-rotated on his second hit and his dream of Olympic hardware slid down the halfpipe with him. It was Pates’ first Olympic appearance, but at 19 he has the potential to compete for a medal in Beijing in 2022 and beyond.

The 82.25 from his second run was good enough for eighth place in the finals, fourth among the Americans. Ben Ferguson finished just off the podium in fourth place. Chase Josey was sixth.

White earned his third Olympic gold with a dramatic, come-from-behind final run score of 97.75 — nearly perfect. Japan’s Ayumu Hirano took silver. Australia’s Scotty James took third.