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Halfpipe skier Burke in critical condition

SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 11 (UPI) -- Canadian freestyle skier Sarah Burke was in critical condition in a Utah hospital after a training accident, doctors said Wednesday.

Dr. Safdar Ansari of the University of Utah Hospital said Burke was intubated and sedated in critical condition.

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Burke -- one of the world's top halfpipe riders -- crashed while skiing Tuesday in Park City, Utah, at a sponsor event.

The 28-year-old native of Midland, Ontario, suffered "serious injuries" in the mishap, the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association said.

The organization said Burke's husband, skier Rory Bushfield of Squamish, British Columbia, was by her side at the Salt Lake City hospital, where she was airlifted after the accident.

"This is an extremely unfortunate situation and we are awaiting further word on Sarah's condition," the group said in a statement.

Burke has won four Winter X Games gold medals in superpipe and is a key figure in the popularization of the sport, which will make its Winter Olympics debut at the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia.

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