Freestyle skiers hit the halfpipe despite Sarah Burke’s still-critical injury

Sarah Burke, a 29-year-old who now calls Whistler home, remained in critical condition at University Hospital in Salt Lake City after a successful operation Wednesday to repair a tear to a vertebral artery that caused bleeding in her brain.

Burke remains at the University of Utah Hospital in critical condition. She is under close monitoring by a multidisciplinary team coordinated by neurointensivist Safdar Ansari.

"Sarah remains in critical condition in the Neuro Critical Care Unit,” said Ansari. "With traumatic brain injury, our care is focused on addressing the primary injury and preventing secondary brain damage, as well as managing other injuries sustained at the time of the accident; all of which requires close monitoring and intensive care. At this moment, Sarah needs more time before any prognosis can be determined."

Medical experts say such a tear can cause bleeding that disrupts blood flow to the brain, which in serious cases can lead to brain damage or death.

Doctors are monitoring her brain function before making definitive pronouncements about her chances of recovery.

Because of her situation, members of the French team training at the Park City superpipe didn't want to talk about the accident.

"We know her and love her and hope she's going to be better," Guenet said. "We send our best to her family and her husband, too. We know him, too."

Burke, a four-time Winter X Games champion in halfpipe skiing, has been one of the leading pioneers to have it included in the Olympics.

She was considered a favourite for the Sochi Games and was gearing up to defend her latest X Games gold medal this month in Aspen, Colo., when she suffered a devastating injury Tuesday afternoon.