Two-time halfpipe Olympic champion Shaun White of the United States announced on Wednesday that he pulled out of the slopestyle competition at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games in order to focus on winning a third straight gold medal in the 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 said 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 part of," read the statement on the website of the US Ski and Snowboard Association.

Early on Wednesday, White expressed his concern that he might not have enough time to take part in both competitions as the slopestyle final and halfpipe competition is on Feb. 11.

Slopestyle is one of two new snowboard events at Sochi 2014. White, who won the halfpipe gold medal at Torino 2006 and Vancouver 2010, also is the five times champion of the slopestyle at the X Games.