Injured New Zealand free skier Rose Battersby is undergoing
surgery on her broken spine after her heavy crash at the
Winter X Games in Aspen yesterday.
The 19-year-old from Taupo suffered a lumbar spine fracture
in the crash which occurred during the warm-up for the
slopestyle.
A family member said Battersby had been in surgery for more
than three hours and they had been in contact with her via
Facebook since the crash. She is expected to make a full
recovery in about six months.
Footage broadcast on ESPN showed Battersby sliding on her
back down a slope, her skis tumbling beside her, before
crashing through a fence and stopping.
Alex Kerr, of Snow Sports NZ, said Battersby was assessed at
Aspen Valley Medical. She was said to be in a stable
condition with a lumbar spine fracture and able to move and
"feel all extremities". She was also able to speak to
rescuers. A second skier called Battersby was also involved
in a crash but they are unrelated.
"Rose is being transferred to Denver for further assessment
and treatment," Kerr said, adding that specialists would
determine the best course of treatment.
On her website, Battersby said she was chasing her dream of
becoming the world's best free skier.
She finished ninth in the women's slopestyle competition last
year, the same one she was injured in yesterday.
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