Shaun White Withdraws from Olympic Slopestyle Event

Snowboarder Shaun White has pulled out of the slopestyle event at theSochi Olympics, citing risk of injury.

"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 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 of."

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White's decision comes one day after jamming his wrist while on a practice run at Rosa Khutor Extreme Park, only the latest in a recent string of minor injuries he's sustained.

"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," said White, who would to be the first man to win three gold medals in a Winter Olympics event if he defends his halfpipe title.

White isn't the only one concerned about the dangers of Rosa Khutor Extreme Park. Norway's Torstein Horgmo withdrew after he fell off a rail there Monday and broke his collarbone.

The course was altered, reducing the height of its three jumps by approximately six feet and adding wax to the rails, but some snowboarders are still concerned.

The men's slopestyle event kicks off Thursday.

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