David Wise shares family pics on Beijing 2022 podium

Who says you can't have your family with you at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games?

After David Wise managed a third straight podium in the freeski halfpipe final, he unfurled three life-size photograph headshots of his wife and kids to celebrate with him.

His wife Alexandra, daughter Nayeli, and son Malachi were there in spirit with him, watching back home as dad did them proud once more.

And while he was aiming for a third straight gold medal after he was crowned king of the halfpipe at Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018, he was still delighted with silver behind New Zealand's gold medallist Nico Porteous.

A 31-year-old Wise said much of his success is down to his family.

"I mean, they are the ones at the end of the day that people ask me, How are you so cool, calm, collect? How do you always come out and do well at the Olympics?

"Because at the end of the day, I know I'm going home to them and they don't care. Win, lose or fall, they love me just as much and they just want to see me, they just want to hug me after.

"So that kind of takes the pressure off.

"And that's really like, that's my lifestyle is putting them first, putting skiing second and being OK with that has always actually made me a better skier."

David Wise 'stoked' for Nico Porteous and 'buddy' Alex Ferreira

Kiwi rider Nico Porteous topped the freeski halfpipe podium on Saturday in difficult, windy conditions and Wise's USA teammate and friend Alex Ferreira bagged bronze.

"I'm stoked to see Nico come out and absolutely lay his run down. I'm proud to pass the torch off to him. I'm a two time Olympic gold medallist, I wanted to be a three-time Olympic gold medallist but that's not how the cards fell and I'm stoked for him.

"Stoked for my buddy Alex there in third place too, I've shared the podium with him twice. We've had an amazing Olympics and me and Alex, we've just have been having a ball for the last month." 

Wise talked about humility after Nico Porteous claimed gold ahead of him.

"I mean, I try not to be completely selfish," he said.

"I want skiing to be represented. I don't want to just be the guy winning everything and taking everything for myself.

"So when somebody does something better than me, I hope to have enough humility to be able to say 'good on ya, you did it!'"

David Wise: "Gratitude"

Just being in Beijing has been amazing Wise says.

"It was a huge relief to make it. I think the worst part of the Olympic qualifying because once you get to the finals, you can kind of go for broke.

"So I was just reflecting last night on the journey to get here and how much I've been through and the fact that I'm still in it and that I got to compete in finals today.

"And I just had this sense of gratitude right from the moment I woke up this morning. I'm just thankful to be here, and we kind of knew as soon as we arrived it was going to be windy and it was going to be interesting.

"I always enjoyed this strategy aspect of skiing, and I kind of knew today might be one of those days where you land a run that nobody expects to do well... And it does well!

"And that's exactly how it was when I landed mine. In terms of of technicality and tricks, I went big, grabbed well and got a good score right out of the gate.

But I was like, OK, now it's time to increase my technicality a little bit but my skis and I didn't agree on that. So you know, it is what it is, competing is competing. I'm stoked for Nico."

David Wise to retire?

With two Olympic gold medals and now a silver shining bright in the trophy cabinet reflecting a sparkling career, is David Wise ready to hang up the skis?

Nah.

Up at the Genting Snow Park Olympics.com clearly heard him say "Damn it, I guess I have to keep competing!"

When he spoke to Olympics.com on the ground after his silver medal run he laughed and said:

"I had so much prepared for this halfpipe, for this competition that I didn't get to do.

"You know, so many tricks that you haven't even seen yet because it wasn't ideal conditions today. So I definitely got to compete again next year and then we'll see how it goes after that.

"One more... at least." he adds.

Still in the game, let's see if he's still flying high and aiming at a fourth straight Olympic podium at Milano-Cortina 2026.