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Winter X Games champ Sarah Burke remained in critical condition for nine days after crashing at the end of a superpipe training run in Park City, Utah on Jan 10. She died without regaining consciousness on Thursday, Jan 19, 2012.

The Canadian freestyle skier had been in a coma at the University of Utah hospital. A early status report indicated that Burke “sustained serious injuries and remains intubated and sedated in critical condition.”

Sarah Burke died of her injuries at the University of Utah Hospital today. The family issued a statement indicating that the athlete suffered a ruptured vertebral artery, one of the four major arteries supplying blood to the brain. The rupture lead to a severe intercranial hemorrhage, which cause her to go into cardiac arrest at the crash scene.

Burke was placed on life support while doctors repaired the artery, but she had sustained severe irreversible brain damage because of a lack of oxygen and blood flow after cardiac arrest.

In accordance with her wishes, her organs and tissues were donated to help save the lives of others.

Peter Judge, CEO of the Canadian freestyle team is still puzzled by the severity of the injury, “She landed a trick down in the bottom end of the pipe and kind of bounced from her feet to her head. It wasn’t anything that looked like a catastrophic fall, so I’m a bit mystified.”

Sarah’s husband Rory Bushfield told the Vancouver Sun that his 29-year-old wife is a “very, very strong woman.” He expects his wife to fully recover.

Burke, a half-pipe pioneer, lobbied for her sport to be included in the Winter Olympics. Half-pipe skiing will debut at the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia.

The four-time gold medal X Games winner was also voted FHM 100 Sexiest Women of 2006:

Check out a photo of Burke executing a superpipe trick after the jump and check out a video report:


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Photo Credit: FayesVision-WENN, Video Screen Grab