The 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing mark all kinds of milestones for snowboarder Shaun “Carrot Top” White. It’s his fifth stint as an official representative of the United States in the sport, 20 years altogether. But it’s also his last time doing so because the three-time gold medalist is retiring for good. White had his final Olympic run last night, and his girlfriend Nina Dobrev’s support amidst the emotional endeavor is all kinds of adorable.
Following his final halfpipe Olympic snowboarding run, Shaun White wept openly as he delivered a heartfelt message live on NBC. He thanked his American compatriots and called snowboarding the love of his life. (No, I’m not crying, you’re crying.) The other love of his life, actress Nina Dobrev, shared on her Instagram stories how proud she was of him in the moment, including a snap of her smooching his life-size cardboard cut-out. See here:
The Vampire Diaries-turned period piece star has been in Beijing with her beau since the onstart of the Winter Olympics, posting a bevy of sweet pics and loving words of support on the Gram in tandem. Ahead of his final course run, Nina Dobrev even wrote in one post that she had “already won the gold” by being with him. Awwwww! Unfortunately, White wouldn’t officially place in his last competition, coming in at fourth, but Dobrev was celebrating him all the same. Check out her next pic from the emotional night below:
It's their casual couple photo together on the slopes, though, that’s really making me want to scream, “Relationship goals!” The Love Hard cast member captioned the snap with a gauge of how much she truly loves her boyfriend:
Nina Dobrev and Shaun White have been dating since 2020, and from the looks of these Olympic outtakes, it’s gotten very serious between the two of them. The gold medalist snowboarding extraordinaire shared recently that their relationship in fact started with an ego bruising on his part. (For the unaware, Dobrev is pretty well-known herself in her own Olympic arena of acting.) To many, she's known for her role on The CW's The Vampire Diaries, and for her frequent reunions with her castmates. However, she’ll actually soon start filming an action-thriller called The Bricklayer, alongside Aaron Eckhart. But in the meantime, she's sending off her partner with flying colors, writing in her last Instagram post:
I am in awe of you. Today we are celebrating you. Your hard work. Your passion. Your determination. Your talent. Your class. Your fearlessness. Your courage. Your soul. Your heart. YOUR LEGACY. I couldn’t be more proud. Of everything you have accomplished over the last 20 years as a competitor and the man you have become. You are one of a kind. You are a true hero and you inspire me daily. The end of one chapter, means the beginning of an exciting new one with endless possibilities. You will forever be the G.O.A.T. of snowboarding. Not to mention you are also the G.(B).O.A.T. = Greatest Boyfriend Of All Time
A lot has been said elsewhere to honor Shaun White’s legacy in snowboarding. Namely, how he put the sport on the map over the years, how he represented his country with dignity and so on and so forth… Yet, really, none could apparently say it better than Nina Dobrev. White might no longer be competing, but fans can still tune into NBC or streaming platforms for other competitors.
