Snowboard: Pearce critical but stable after head injury
Salt Lake City (AFP) – Snowboarder Kevin Pearce remained in critical but stable condition in hospital Saturday, two days after suffering a serious head injury in training.
Pearce, 22, struck his head on the side of the halfpipe while attempting a cab double cork – a difficult twisting double back flip.
“Kevin sustained a severe traumatic brain injury,” doctor Holly Ledyard said. “He is currently in intensive care and in critical condition, but stable and has not needed to undergo surgery at this time. He is intubated and being kept sedated. The focus over the next week will be watching for any swelling in his brain and keeping his brain pressure normal. Kevin has a long recovery ahead of him.”
Pearce was training at Park City, Utah, for Olympic qualifying events in Mammoth Mountain, California, next week.
After the accident he was airlifted to hospital in Salt Lake City.
Pearce is among the few riders who have beaten 2006 Olympic gold medallist Shaun White in head-to-head competition in recent years and was among the favorites to make the US team for the 2010 Vancouver Games.
