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Gus Kenworthy locks up U.S. Olympic ski slopestyle spot

Gus Kenworthy

PARK CITY, UT - JANUARY 17: Third place finisher Gus Kenworthy of the United States competes during day one of the Visa U.S. Freeskiing Grand Prix at Park City Mountain Resort January 17, 2014 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr/Getty Images)

Gene Sweeney Jr.

Gus Kenworthy earned the third automatic U.S. men’s Olympic ski slopestyle berth Saturday, leaving the last two world champions to hope for one possible discretionary selection.

Kenworthy, 22 and born in London, took second in the fifth and final Olympic selection event in Park City, Utah, scoring a 95-point run. Another American, Joss Christensen, won with 95.6 points.

Christensen did not qualify for the Olympics because he did not have a previous podium result in Olympic selection events.

Nick Goepper and Bobby Brown had previously earned automatic U.S. Olympic spots in ski halfpipe. Kenworthy joins them and will look for his first medal at a major event, having not made the podium at a Winter X Games or World Championships.

The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association could add one more man to the Olympic Team as a discretionary pick. The top contenders are 2013 World Champion Tom Wallisch, 2011 World Champion Alex Schlopy and Christensen.

U.S. Olympic Skeleton Team named

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