Kevin Pearce

UPDATE, January 21, 2012: Kevin Pearce reflects on Sarah Burke's death
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UPDATE, February 22, 2010: Kevin Pearce: Great athlete, family member

Tom Brokaw reports on the progress of snowboarder Kevin Pearce, a likely Olympic contender in the halfpipe before a December training run accident nearly took his life.

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UPDATE, January 7, 2010: Snowboarder Kevin Pearce is regaining consciousness; has been upgraded from critical to serious condition

Snowboarder Kevin Pearce has been upgraded from critical to serious condition, according to his doctors at the University of Utah hospital. Although Pearce still faces a long recovery, this is a very big step and his doctors are "cautiously" optimistic, given his current progress.

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The Olympic Games in Vancouver are just 40 days away.

As Kevin Pearce, one of America's top snowboarders, was training for next week's qualifying events, he suffered a very serious brain injury.

From the Associated Press:

Top-ranked American snowboarder Kevin Pearce was in critical condition Saturday at a Utah hospital after suffering a "severe, traumatic brain injury" in a training accident, one of his doctors said.

Dr. Holly Ledyard said Pearce, who is in the University of Utah Hospital's intensive care unit, has not yet needed surgery.

"Kevin sustained a severe, traumatic brain injury ... (and) is being kept sedated," Ledyard said in a statement released by the snowboarder's publicist. "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," she said.

Pearce was injured Thursday in Park City as he prepared for next week's Olympic qualifying events. His spokeswoman Danielle Burch said he was in the process of completing a twisting double back flip when he caught his toe-side edge and landed on his head. He was wearing a helmet.

The 22-year-old from Norwich, Vt., is a top-ranked halfpipe rider. Along with Shaun White, he is considered to be one of America's top athletes in a sport dominated by the United States.

This accident certainly highlights just how risky the sport can be.

Although Pearce won't be in condition to compete in Vancouver and will need a long time to recover from his injury, hopefully his recovery will be steady and complete.

According to an update Saturday afternoon on a Facebook page set up by his family, Pearce was "doing well, he continues to maintain his stable condition. Being young, healthy and strong is working in his favor."

Best wishes to Pearce.

Updates on his condition and expressions of support here.