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Canadian freestyle skier Sarah Burke died Thursday morning at the age of 29, just nine days after falling and then whiplashing onto her side on Jan. 10 at the Park City Mountain Resort in Park City, Utah, upon landing a practice run trick on the halfpipe ramp.
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Tests revealed Burke sustained "irreversible damage to her brain due to lack of oxygen and blood after cardiac arrest," according to a statement released by Burke's publicist Nicole Wool on behalf of her family.
Burke, a four-time superpipe Winter X Games champion and 2005 halfpipe world gold medalist, was in an induced coma and critical condition since being flown by helicopter to University of Utah Hospital after her fall. She went into cardiac arrest immediately after the accident and had surgery on Jan. 11 to repair a torn vertebral artery located in the neck that caused cranial bleeding.
Burke's family had planned to hold a Monday news conference about Burke's condition, but instead cancelled it early in the morning after speaking with Burke's physicians in what seems like a sign of worse news to come.
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Wool said Burke's organs will be donated.
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"The family expresses their heartfelt gratitude for the international outpouring of support they have received from all the people Sarah touched," Wool also said in her statement.
Burke, widely considered a freestyle skiing pioneer who played a major role in getting halfpipe added to the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, was preparing to defend her gold medal at this year's Winter X Games, which begin on Jan. 26 in Aspen, Colo.
Fans of the popular Burke offered the skier high praise and condolences in what might be considered freestyle skiing's and even winter sports' most tragic death:
"Oh gosh, such heartbreaking news about Sarah Burke. My thoughts & prayers are with her family & friends."
"What a good day turned bad. So sad to hear about the passing of sarah burke. Prayers go out to her family and loved ones"
"Canada and the world loses a great athlete, RIP Sarah Burke ~"
"RIP Sarah Burke. You were a god on the slopes"
"RIP Sarah Burke your a legend"
"So sorry to hear the news about Sarah Burke. She was an icon #freestyleskiing #SarahBurke"
