On the heels of his Olympic gold-medal-winning run in South Korea on Wednesday, the snowboarder Shaun White was immediately asked about sexual harassment allegations that were leveled against him in 2016, casting a shadow on the celebration.

Mr. White, 31, at first tried to dismiss the claims as “gossip,” a word he later apologized for using. Hours later, he gave a statement to The New York Times, saying: “I regret my behavior of many years ago and am sorry that I made anyone — particularly someone I considered a friend — uncomfortable.”

The “gossip” comment came up during a news conference Wednesday morning after his victory on the men’s halfpipe.

“I’m here to talk about the Olympics, not gossip,” he said, when pressed by an ABC News reporter.

Asked if the claims could damage his reputation, Mr. White said: “I don’t think so. I am who I am, and I’m proud of who I am.”