After about three years of ‘retirement’, two-time Olympic medalist Cassie Sharpe’s ski halfpipe qualifier was her rebounding act. However, Thursday quickly turned into a nightmare for her. Sharpe’s fall right near the end of her second run now has everyone concerned.

The Canadian freestyle skier was removed from the halfpipe qualifier on a stretcher after a heavy crash during qualification at the Milan Cortina Winter Games on Thursday night. The 33-year-old lost control while landing a jump and came down hard on her left side, sliding face-down to the bottom of the pipe.

The event was brought to a halt while the medical personnel reached the location and spent several minutes assessing her condition before transporting Sharpe to a nearby medical facility for further examination.

As she was being carried away, she managed to wave at her fans, receiving loud cheers. She was in a “stable condition”, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) said. Freestyle Canada CEO Peter Judge reflected the same about her condition. The 33-year-old from Squamish, British Columbia, briefly lost consciousness but is now awake and talking. She was taken to a clinic in Livigno for further tests and medical checks.

Thanks to her strong first run, Sharpe was third overall among 12 athletes. However, there’s no update if she will be able to participate in Saturday’s finals. With the round closed, Britain’s Zoe Atkin came first. Chinese superstar Eileen Gu was fifth in the qualification.

Sharpe was still breastfeeding her newborn daughter when she decided to participate in the Olympics. At 33, she’s the oldest participant in the event. Still, once she knew she wanted to be back on the mountain, the goal became clearer to her.

“I have two Olympic medals, I obviously want to perform well, I obviously want to do the thing. But [qualifying for Milan Cortina] was my base,” she had said.

“To me, success is making it to the Olympics. So I’m just happy to be a part of it.”

There had already been several crashes in both freestyle skiing and snowboarding in recent days. Australian snowboarder Cameron Bolton previously broke two cervical vertebrae. On Friday, New Zealand freestyle skier Finley Melville Ives fell hard on landing in the halfpipe and hit his head. Ives is stable. Skier Lindsey Vonn was out of the Olympics in her very first race last week due to a complex tibial fracture.

Soon after the update got out, it drew prayers from fans across social media for a speedy recovery.

Fans wish Cassie Sharpe as she tries to recover in 48 hours

While Sharpe recovers, social media is abuzz with comments from fans expressing shock at the incident. One of them commented, “Very scary crash for Cassie Sharpe in the Halfpipe. She is finally taken out via sled after laying there for at least 10 mins with a wave for the crowd thank goodness. That was awful. Hope she is Ok.”

Another fan inquired CBS News about any fresh updates on her status, “I hope cassie sharpe is doing well and is recovering well are we all so proud of her and were all proud she made it into the final god bless her.”

Although there was a brief concern as she was unconscious, her waving at the crowd helped ease many. Meanwhile, another fan, besides wishing for a speedy recovery, was also concerned about her participation in the events to come.

“Fingers crossed for a speedy recovery and that you’ll be able to compete in finals but remember health and safety first,” the fan wrote. According to the CEO of Freestyle Canda Peter Judge, it is quite unlikely that she will compete in the finals.

A third fan called out for support from others. They requested everyone to pray for the 33-year-old in one of the toughest moments of her professional career. “Let’s hope Canadian Cassie Sharpe will be ok as she had an accident on the freestyle ski event today,” he wrote.

Sharpe, who won Olympic gold in 2018 and silver in 2022, scored 88.25 in her first run, which placed her among the top 12 and secured her spot in Saturday’s final.

While some were focused on the upcoming opportunity, others were still waiting for an update on her recovery. “Praying for Cassie Sharpe. hoping she’s going to be okay after that crash in the freeski halfpipe qualifications,” a fan wrote, expressing concern about the freestyle skier’s health.

This incident, after Lindsey Vonn’s crash, prompted several concerns over players’ safety. Meanwhile, fans are also uncertain about her participation in the games going forward.