Shaun White Pulls Out Of Slopestyle Event At The 2014 Winter Olympics, Doesn't Want To Risk Injury

Shaun White will not be participating in the upcoming slopestyle event at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. The two-time Olympic gold metalist announced the news on the Today Show this morning, along with plans to focus his energy entirely on the men's halfpipe.

"After much deliberation with my team, I have made the decision to focus solely on trying to bring home the third straight gold medal in halfpipe for Team USA," White told NBC's Today in a statement. "The difficult decision to forego slopestyle is not one I take lightly as I know how much effort everyone has put into holding the slopestyle event for the first time in Olympic history, a history I had planned on being a part being a part of."

On Tuesday, during practice for his slopestyle performance, White jammed his wrist and told press that he was "feeling the impact" of the event and called the course "a little intimidating."

In slopestyle, the goal is to perform the most difficult tricks while getting the highest amplitude off jumps, which makes injuries common, and for White, that isn't a risk he is wiling to take.

"With the practice runs I have taken, even after course modifications and watching fellow athletes get hurt, the potential risk of injury is a bit too much for me to gamble my other Olympics goals on," he explained.

Although slopestyle is a popular event at the Winter X Games, and has been for years, 2014 will be its first year at the Olympic Games.

White's attempt at a third straight title on the halfpipe is scheduled for next Tuesday, Jan. 11. If White succeeds in his attempt, he will become the first American man to win three Olympic gold medals in a single event.