Olympics-Shaun White picked for third Olympics, adds new event

Jan 19 (Reuters) - Shaun White has succeeded in his bid to earn selection for two snowboarding events at next month's Winter Olympics in Sochi. The 27-year-old Californian, who won gold in the men's halfpipe at each of the past two Winter Olympics, was picked in the U.S. team for the halfpipe and slopestyle, which has been added to the Olympic program for the first time. White secured his place in the slopestyle on Thursday then booked his spot in the halfpipe by winning the last qualifying event on Sunday. He was among 13 snowboarders, including a brother and sister with an ominous name for victory, who were named in a powerful U.S. squad. Taylor Gold joined White in making the men's halfpipe team while his teenage sister Arielle Gold made the same event in the women's division. Kelly Clark, the Olympic champion in the women's halfpipe at Salt Lake City in 2002, was chosen for her fourth Olympics while Hannah Teter, the gold medallist in 2006 and silver medallist in 2010, was named for her third Olympics after the selection committee used a discretionary pick. The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association said it may still add more names to the squad in slopestyle and all the selections must still be approved by the U.S. Olympic Committee. U.S. Snowboarding squad for Sochi: Men's Halfpipe - Greg Bretz, Danny Davis, Taylor Gold, Shaun White Women's Halfpipe - Kelly Clark, Kaitlyn Farrington, Arielle Gold, Hannah Teter Men's Slopestyle - Sage Kotsenburg, Chas Guldemond, Shaun White Women's Slopestyle - Jamie Anderson, Ty Walker (Reporting by Julian Linden, editing by Gene Cherry)