He told me a couple of weeks ago that he just wanted to land his run. Wherever that placed him was out of his control. He achieved his goal with two very solid runs in the finals.
That was not quite enough to get on the medal stand, but he can leave his first Olympics knowing he gave it all he had. That is all an athlete can hope for.
His Olympic performance capped a whirlwind of a few months. He was a smashing success on ABC's Dancing With The Stars last fall. His popularity has since skyrocketed as his face has shown up in newspapers and magazines everywhere.
Although his celebrity status has grown, the 21-year-old Vito showed Wednesday that his focus on snowboarding has never wavered.
During the X Games a few weeks ago, one of the ESPN announcers said Vito was known more for his appearance on Dancing With The Stars than for his snowboarding.
His fifth place finish in Vancouver cemented the fact that Vito is first and foremost an elite level snowboarder. The dancing gig was good for his popularity and for endorsements, but Vito's passion has always been becoming among the best in his sport. That mission has now been accomplished.
The Olympics was just the tip of the iceberg for Vito. He continues to raise his snowboarding to a higher level. The sky is the limit. Making it back to the Olympics in 2014 will be a monumental challenge.
One thing is for sure. Vito will give it his best shot. Just as he did in Vancouver.