Burke remembered in Sochi, coach spreads ashes of late skier in halfpipe

SOCHI, Russia – The ashes of Canadian freestyle skier Sarah Burke were spread at the halfpipe, on top of a mountain and near the Olympic rings in the athletes’ village at the 2014 Winter Games.

Burke, considered a pioneer for the introduction of halfpipe and slopestyle into the Winter Games, died following a training accident in Utah in January, 2012.

Freestyle coach Trennon Paynter says he distributed the ashes in the halfpipe after training sessions but prior to the competition.

Athletes wanted to wear stickers in memory of Burke at the Winter Games, but were not allowed under International Olympic Committee rules.