Veteran duo Cai and Liu on board with nurturing the next generation

In a clear display of youth's domination in women's halfpipe, South Korea's 17-year-old prodigy Choi Ga-on, after two failed runs, stunned two-time defending champion Chloe Kim of the United States by landing a do-or-die third run featuring three 900 tricks in a row to take gold on her Olympic debut.

The 25-year-old Kim, who beat Liu to claim her first Olympic gold in 2018, also aged 17, was the oldest among the top five, which included three teenagers.

Knowing that the benchmark has been elevated too high, Cai said her own measurement has always been herself.

"I did land the best run I'd prepared in training. I am completely satisfied with that," she said of her second run, when she connected a 1080 trick with a 900 stunt.

"It feels like I've reached a point where I can't improve any further. I've given my all, and this is as far as my potential will take me (at the Olympics).

"But, I'm still passionate about snowboarding. I won't leave it, no matter what kind of role I embrace next."

Liu, who carried a foot injury that occurred in training over a month ago to Italy, echoed the sentiment of her compatriot, refusing to quit riding.

"I lost my memory for over a minute, (it was a) total blackout," Liu recalled of her qualifying run crash. "Fortunately, it was just a wound on my head and no severe damage."

"This is the part of the sport that you embrace as much as the fun part of it," said Liu, who had indefinitely retired from competitive snowboarding after Beijing 2022 and started a doctoral degree at the Harbin Institute of Technology in her home province of Heilongjiang.

"This will also be my last Olympics, but I will continue snowboarding as well, helping train young riders and promoting the sport."

Sharing four world championships, 58 World Cup podiums and eight overall season titles between them in a career spanning 18 years, the combined accolades of the Chinese duo have already enshrined them in the sport's history.

Now, with another Olympic mark stamped on their resumes, Cai and Liu have joined retired legend Shaun White of the United States and his female counterpart Kelly Clark as members of the exclusive "five Winter Games club".

In a sport that demands exceptional athleticism to win, Cai and Liu have proved that passion can prevail beyond the proudest victories and hardest falls.

"As long as you still love it, as I do, you can snowboard as long as you like," said Cai. "It's a way of life."