Fast track to gold? You know your bobsled team has had a pretty fine day when it makes two runs . . . and establishes a new track record both times. USA 1, which includes Steven Holcomb, Steve Mesler, Justin Olsen, and Curt Tomasevicz, did just that Friday to grab first place midway through the four-man bobsled competition. With a combined time of 1 minute 41.75 seconds, USA 1 holds a 0.40 lead on Canada 1 and is 0.44 ahead of Germany 1 entering today's final two runs. 5:40 p.m

Once more for Bode: Bode Miller has added three medals to his collection during his time in Vancouver (OK, technically Whistler), making the Franconia, N.H. native the most decorated male Olympic skier in US history. He'll go for a fourth medal -- and the sixth of his Olympic career -- during the slalom, the final Alpine event of these games. Fellow US skier Ted Ligety also has a shot at a spot on the podium, which two New Englanders, Jimmy Cochran (Keene, N.H.) and 20-year-old Nolan Kasper (Warren, Vt.) will try to make their marks. 4:45 p.m.

And don't forget . . . . . . to watch speedskater Chad Hedrick's final Olympic race as the US battles Canada for the gold in the men's team pursuit (4:55 p.m.). Also, if you're a curling enthusiast, the men's final between Canada -- which is 10-0 here but has some ghosts to exorcise -- and Norway begins at 6 p.m..

Boston's Michelle Gorgone advanced out of the qualifying round in the parallel giant slalom competition on Cypress Mountain this morning.

Her time of 40.19 in her first of two runs was the fastest among all snowboarders and earned her a berth in the field of 16 finalists. Those races begin at 3:15 p.m.

With a solid result in the bank she took a less aggressive second run and finished with a 1:24.63 combined, with her 44.44 the slowest second run among the qualifiers.

Gorgone is aiming to become just the second US medalist in parallel GS since it became an Olympic sport in 1998.

How about nine? Apolo Anton Ohno has won two medals here in Vancouver already, making him the most decorated US Winter Olympics athlete of all time. (Two golds + two silvers + three bronzes = A heck of a trophy case.) The popular short-track dynamo has a chance to add two more tonight in the 500 meters and the 5,000-meter relay. But he might not be the only story for the US on the short track at Pacific Coliseum. Katherine Reutter is a medal contender in the women's 1,000 meters. 9 p.m.

Go, go, Gorgone: The US will have just one representative in the women's parallel giant slalom at Cypress Mountain -- Boston's own Michelle Gorgone. Gorgone will attempt to become just the second US medalist since the event debuted in Nagano in 1998. There are two morning qualifying runs in the parallel GS, with a field of 16 racers advancing to the finals at 3:15 p.m.

And don't forget . . . . . . men's ice hockey, of course. (Not that you would. We're not accusing.) Ryan Miller and the United States face Finland in one semifinal, while Canada -- which looked unstoppable against Russia and has 15 goals in its past two games -- takes on Slovakia in the other. Fair to say we're all hoping for a rematch of the US's 5-3 win Sunday? Because they sure are up here. US-Finland: 3 p.m.; Canada-Slovakia: 9:30 p.m.

Scotty Lago's Olympic adventure has come to an abrupt end.

Lago, the free-spirited Seabrook, N.H. native who won bronze in the halfpipe Wednesday night, left the Olympics voluntarily today after the website TMZ.com published suggestive photos of a woman kissing the snowboarder's medal.

The decision to go home was Lago's, according to a US Olympic Committee spokesman. The 23-year-old apologized to the USOC as well as the US Ski and Snowboard Association.

"At this point, no action has been taken against Scotty," said USOC spokesman Patrick Sandusky.

In the first of the pair of photos published on the website this afternoon, Lago, dressed in a Team USA t-shirt and wearing the medal he had been formally awarded that night, is smiling as a woman kneels and kisses the medal hanging at his waist. The photos appear to be taken in a crowd of people on a public street.

In the second photo, the woman is biting the medal as he holds it.

Lago's departure is consistent with the USOC's emphasis on good behavior from its athletes here in Vancouver. US team members were required to complete an "Ambassador Program" before coming to the games, and the USOC has reiterated on numerous occasions that it has taken steps to avoid embarrassing public behavior by its athletes.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Add two more medals to the United States' tally here in the Winter Games -- and don't forget credit them to a pair of New Englanders as well.

Hannah Teter won the silver and Kelly Clark took the bronze in the women's halfpipe tonight at Cypress Mountain. Teter is from Belmont, Vt., while Clark is claimed by two states -- she was born in Newport, R.I., but moved to West Dover, Vt. at age 7.

They join Seabrook, N.H.'s Scotty Lago -- who won the bronze in the men's halfpipe Wednesday night -- along with Seth Wescott (gold, snowboardcross), Hannah Kearney (gold, women's moguls) and Bode Miller (bronze, men's downhill) as New England athletes to medal in Vancouver.

Teter, the defending gold medalist from the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, had the best score after the first run at 42.4. But that was surpassed in the second run by Australian Torah Bright, who earned a 45.0 after flawlessly sticking her five moves to stake a claim to the silver.

"It was amazing," said Teter. "It was such a crazy event. It was crazy to be part of such a good show."

Even if in the end, Bright stole it with her golden -- and pressure-filled -- final run.

"I was standing up there [before my run] and was like, 'There's nothing I can do now. Whatever will be, will be.' "

Clark found her way on to the podium with a 42.2 in her second run, bumping China's Liu Jiayu, who scored a 39.3 on her first run and failed to take back the spot from Clark on her second run, finishing with a 34.9.

"I'm so happy to walk away with this medal tonight," said Clark. "I had fallen on my first run and to finish with a medal . . . it's incredible."

The US entered with some hopes of sweeping the event, but defending X-Games halfpipe champ Gretchen Bleiler and Elena Hight both fell on both of their runs.

The Teter/Clark combo marks sixth multiple-medal event of the Games for the US.

Update, 9:53 p.m.: Liu Jiayu is coming out of the gate now. She has the last shot at knocking Clark out of the top three and bumping Teter (at least temporarily) to bronze . . .

. . . but she doesn't do it, meaning Teter and Clark are guaranteed of medals. Teter's the last one up right now.

Update, 9:44 p.m.:Clark leaves the gate singing to herself, and after completing her run that included a 900 Indy grab, she's still singing a happy tune, scoring a 42.2 to put her in position for the bronze.

Clark, who was born in Rhode Island but moved to Vermont at age 7 and took up snowboarding then, seems to have lots of fans in the crowd, and many of them are waving gold and black placards that say "Go Kelly!"

Five more competitors to go, including Teter, so we'll see if she can hang on.

Update, 9:40 p.m.: There will be no halfpipe medal for X-Game champ Gretchen Bleiler.

After completing a pair of 540s during her second run, she lost her balance while appearing to try a third. Pumping her arms to no avail, her board slammed down hard on the edge of the halfpipe as she came tumbling toward the middle of the course.

She did not appear to be injured and smiled and waved to the crowd as she walked off.

Hight also will not medal after also catching the edge and falling during her second run.

So the US's medal hopes are up to Clark -- who is up now -- and Teter, the two New Englanders.

Update, 9:35 p.m.: The second run is underway, and Australia's Bright -- one of the favorites -- delivers a spectacular run that ends with a 45.0 score and a new leader.

Let's see if Bleiler can match her. She's sitting and basking in the crowd before beginning her run.

Update, 9:25 p.m. So after the first run, Teter has the best score by more than three points at 42.4, with China's Liu Jiayu second (39.3), and France's Sophie Rodriguez third (34.4)

Among the other Americans, Kelly Clark is seventh, Elana Hight is eighth, and Gretchen Bleiler is 10th.

The scores are not cumulative, so each snowboarder will have a chance to top her score in the second and final run.

Update, 9:19 p.m. Vermont's Hannah Teter takes over first place with solid if not spectacular run that gets her a 42.4. She didn't get as high as Bleiler did, but made it through the run.

And as we're writing this, Kelly Clark follows with a wipeout while trying to execute a 1080, and Australia's Torah Bright, who had the best score in qualifying, also fell.

Update, 9:16 p.m. Bleiler gets some big air and appears to be in the midst of a terrific run, but she suddenly slips after pulling off a pair of impressive moves, including what looked to be a 540 McTwist. She's in eighth place with an 11.0.

Here's Teter . . .

Update, 9:11 p.m.China's Liu Jiayu takes over the top spot with a 39.3.

Bleiler coming up, and she's animated, waving to the camera with both hands.

Update, 9:05 p.m. And we're underway in the finals.

Elena Hight is the first up for the US and third overall, but she wipes out after he board clips the top of the lip 20 seconds or so into her run. She receives a 24.6 score.

Canada's Mercedes Nicoll follows Hight and earns a 34.6, good for second so far.

* * *

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Would it be greedy to suggest the US could sweep the podium in the women's halfpipe tonight?

Well, yeah. Of course it would. But it's also not out of the realm of possibility.

Vermonters Kelly Clark and Hannah Teter were among three American snowboarders who earned spots in the halfpipe final during qualifying this afternoon at Cypress Mountain.

Clark scored a 45.4 on her first run, good for second place behind Australia's Torah Bright (45.8).

Teter, who won the gold medal in this event during the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, was fourth, while fellow American and reigning X-Games champ Gretchen Bleiler was fifth.

A fourth US snowboarder, Elena Hight (perfect name for this sport), is in via the semifinals.

Clark, Teter and Bleiler had already advanced to the 12-woman finals based on their top-six finish in qualifying.

The finals begin at 9 p.m. More to come then . . .

Piping up: Shaun White did his thing with style in the men's halfpipe Wednesday, defending his gold medal from Turin with a transcendent effort that included landing the Double McTwist 1260, a move only he has pulled off in competition. Tonight, it's the women's turn to show what they can do, with Vermont's Hannah Teter, the defending Olympic gold medalist, among the favorites, along with Newport, R.I. native Kelly Clark, the 2002 gold medalist in Salt Lake City, and reigning X-Games champ Gretchen Bleiler. It will be a surprise if the US doesn't claim another medal or two (dare we suggest three?) today on Cypress Mountain.

Feeling super? There's no time to rest and rejoice for freshly-minted gold medalist Lindsey Vonn, who gives it a go this morning in the super combined, a day after blowing away the field in the downhill. There is some question as to how her injured shin will feel in the event, which is essentially a slalom leg plus an abbreviated downhill, especially since she's liable to feel some effects of Wednesday's race. Of course, as she's already proven, talent plus adrenaline and toughness can take you a long way.

And don't forget . . . The men's figure skating free program: Plushenko. Lysacek. Who ya got? And if you're not into that rivalry, we know you'll tune in to check out Johnny Weir's wardrobe curiosities.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Olympics sports writer John Powers talks about Wednesday's results and gives a preview of Thursday's events.

Well, you can see why Shaun White is regarded as the Michael Jordan of snowboarding.

No one rises to the big moment better. And no one gets more air beneath him when he does.

White, just 23 but long an icon among the snowboarding crowd, proved head, shoulders, and feet above the competition tonight in the men's halfpipe final at Cypress Mountain. He scored a 46.8 in his first run, which would have been enough to win the gold medal in the event he also won in Turin in 2006.

But in his second run, he found a way to top even himself, earning a staggering 48.4 from the judges to do exactly what he was expected to do entering the Vancouver Games: dominate the competition. It was greatness personified.

As a punctuation mark on the redhead's instantly legendary performance, he nailed the dangerous and fabled Double McTwist 1260, a move that thus far only White has been able to land in competition.

"It was the savvy thing to do," White said. "Saucy. Keep it weird. My coach said at the top, 'Don't do this unless you're gonna stomp it.' "

White said there was no doubt in his mind that he was going to go for it on his second run.

"I just felt like I didn't come all the way to Vancouver not to pull out the big guns," he said. "I put down the tricks I worked so hard on."

Finland’s Peetu Piiroinen took silver. Scotty Lago, now the official pride of Seabrook, N.H., grabbed the bronze.

White's victory caps a huge day for US athletes -- high-profile ones in particular. Earlier, Alpine skier Lindsey Vonn, who was probably the only American athlete touted as much as White entering these Games, took gold in the women's downhill.

It marked the third multiple-medal event of the day for the United States -- speedskaters Shani Davis (gold) and Chad Hedrick (bronze) both medaled in the 1,000 meters tonight.

The six medals are the most in a single day by the US in a Winter Games, surpassing the five earned on Feb. 20, 2002 at Salt Lake City..

White becomes the fourth American male to successfully defend an Olympic gold medal, joining Dick Button (figure skating, 1948 and 1952), Seth Wescott (snowboardcross, 2006, '10), and Davis (long track speedskating, 2006, '10).

As for what's next for White . . .

"Sleep," he said. "And then take on the world."

Update, 11:12 p.m. Lago fell on his second run, locking him in the bronze position while ensuring that White will win the gold.

Lago is, of course, thrilled -- the CTV camera catches him rejoicing while asking "Where's my family?" A nice moment follows when they find him for a group hug at the edge of the mixed zone.

Update, 11:09 p.m. Seabrook, N.H. native Scotty Lago will win a medal tonight in the men's halfpipe.

Which medal remains to be seen.

Lago was bumped from second place by Finland's Peetu Piiroinen, who scored a 45.0 on his second run. But because Podladtchikov, the third-to-last competitor, fell, Lago is assured of a medal.

Update, 11:06 p.m. Louis Vito won't make the podium, scoring a 39.4 on his second run. He needed to beat a 42.4 to crack the top three.

Iouri Podladtchikov of Switzerland is in third place, having scored a 42.4 on his first run, 0.4 away from Lago.

Update, 10:57 p.m. Here is how the five judges scored White's first run:

9.4, 9.3, 9.3, 9.3, 9.5.

No one else even approached a 9.3. Lago received an 8.9 from one judge.

The competition is in reverse order of finish, so Lago will go 11th and White 12th in the second run.

The US has some pretty sweet uniforms, with red, white, and blue plaid tops and pants that look like XXXXXXL jeans.

Update, 10:38 p.m.: So that's what they call Big Air.

White makes it look easy in his first run of the finals -- he really looks like he gets a couple of feet higher than all of his competitors -- and his score reflects his performance:

46.8.

It's the best score of the day, topping his own 45.8 in qualifying, and it should be plenty for the gold.

Lago, whose score White beat by a staggering four points, is bumped to second, while Vito falls to fourth.

We'll see if he breaks out the Double McTwist 1260 in the second and final run.

White's moves included massive air, back to back double corks, before concluding with what appeared to be a backside 900.

Update, 10:34 Louis Vito of the US, the eighth snowboarder to take on the halfpipe, moved into third with a 39.1. Lago still holds the lead with 11 boarders having gone of the 12 in the finals.

You know who is up next . . .

Update, 10:23 EST: It's supposed to be Shaun White's night, and chances are it will be.

But New Hampshire's Scotty Lago just earned a 42.8 score in his first run of the finals of the men's halfpipe at Cypress Mountain. He has the lead after four competitors.

Upon completing his run, Lago pumped his fist and shouted as a vocal US contingent in the crowd cheered wildly.

Could the US put a pair on the podium tonight in the halfpipe, just as it did earlier in the day in the women's Alpine skiing downhill?

* * *

SEMIFINALS

Update, 9:46 EST: Scotty Lago of Seabrook, N.H. advanced to the finals in men’s snowboard halfpipe on Cypress Mountain.

He will be joined by reigning gold medalist and heavy favorite Shaun White and fellow Louie Vito, both of whom advanced directly from qualifying runs, as US entrants in the final, along with Greg Bretz, who also made it out of the semis.

Workers have tidied up the course and snowboarders are taking practice runs right now. The finals should begin in roughly a half-hour.

* * *

There was no Double McTwist 1260-- not yet, anyway -- but US snowboarding superstar Shaun White sailed to a first-place finish in the qualifying round of the men's halfpipe this afternoon at Cypress Mountain.

By winning his heat, White earned a berth in tonight's medal round, which is slated to begin at 10:15 EST.

"The qualifiers are a strange limbo," White said. "We practice for finals every single day. This was almost more nerve-wracking.

Scotty Lago of Seabrook, N.H., advanced to the semifinals, finishing sixth in the second heat. The top three from each of the two heats qualify for the finals, while the next six in each heat reach the semis, which begin at 8:15 p.m. EST.

Lago said he had hoped to skip the semifinals to save his energy for the final.

"I'm going to stick to the same run [in the semis]," Lago said. "I believe that will be enough. I'll just land it clean and big like I know how to do."

American Louie Vito also is in the finals after finishing third in White's heat (41.8). Greg Bretz, who finished fourth in the second heat, will try to qualify from the semis along with Lago.

"I think the US put together a super-strong team," Lago said. "We're all top performers. Hopefully, we'll see [me, Shaun, Greg, and Louie] in the finals."

White, of course, is already there, having earned a score of 45.8 from the judges, the best of either heat; Finland's Peetu Piironinen won the second with a 45.1. But White's run was considered conservative, at least for him, and he limited his selections from his bag of tricks. There was no sign of the Double McTwist 1260, a daring and dangerous maneuver that includes 3-1/2 twists in midair.

White started with a Backside Air, followed by a Frontside 1080 Double Cork, then a Cab 1080 Tailgrab before finishing with a Backside 900.

"[A 45.8] out of 50 isn't bad," White said.

* * *

If you like your halfpipe with a helping of comedy on the side, keep an eye out for the French team.

All three of their semifinalists -- as well as their one teammate who did not advance -- are wearing mustaches.

"Some of the guys have arguments [reasons] for it, but not me, I just like it," said France's Arthur Longo. "It's a little wink to the crowd and something to smile about."

We'll be back with some live blogging from the halfpipe finals at 10:15-ish . . .

Here's Lindsey: We've seen her in commercials. We've seen her in the SI swimsuit issue. Now, after concerns about her injured shin and days of uncooperative weather at Whistler, we'll finally see Lindsey Vonn ski. The Minnesota native and oft-dubbed "Face of the Games" for the United States team was the favorite in the women's downhill, but her true health remains somewhat of a mystery; she said the bumpy course caused her pain in her injured leg during practice runs. Vonn has proven her toughness before. Should she do it again today in victory, all of the hype will be more than justified. 2 p.m.

White-out conditions? Heard of the Double-McTwist 1260? Nope, that's not the name and calorie count of the latest offering at McDonald's. It's snowboarding megamogul Shaun White's mysterious and complex new trick, which he says he hopes to break out in today's halfpipe. In truth, the trick, which White refers to as "massive," is no joking matter; the 1260 refers to the number of degrees in turns he makes -- yes, that's 3 1/2 revolutions. Gulp. Be safe up there, Tomato.Final, 10:15 p.m.

And don't forget . . . Speedskater Shani Davis essentially used the 500 meters Monday as high-profile warmup, pulling out after one race to focus on preparing for today's 1,000 meters. His decision should be justified -- he is the heavy favorite as the world-record holder and defending gold medalist in the event. In terms of his legacy, the stakes for Davis are high: Should he win, he will become the first skater in Olympic history to win gold in the event twice.

Update, 6:06 p.m. PST: Jacobellis did speak to the press approximately an hour after the end of the race.

She explained that she saw some family and friends she didn't know would be there, and felt compelled to greet them before meeting with the media.

Here are a couple of her quotes:

It's amazing to have had such a history in the sport and made such a significant mark. I'm only 23, and I've already accomplished so much. This is only one race. I just have to put everything into perspective."

"I've had a great career, but sometimes I dominate and sometimes I fall into a funk where things like what happened today happen. It's not the end of the world. But I guess I don't have the best track record with the general public."

Update, 3:41 p.m. PST: Forget that part about quotes for now. Jacobellis didn't speak to the media in the mixed zone after the race. We imagine the USOC will provide some comments from her, and if they do, we'll post them here.

We don't want to make too many presumptions here, but it is fair to wonder if Jacobellis has suddenly discovered a higher level of regret for her missed opportunity at gold in 2006.

While she has dominated the X-Games and is regarded as the best women's snowboardcrosser in the world, the opportunity to call yourself an Olympic gold medalist comes around once every four years.

It will be interesting to see if her mindset has changed, if this meant more to her than she let on all along, or if she simply shrugs it off as an element of the sport.

One other note: Bob Ryan is writing a column on Jacobellis and the event for tomorrow's newspaper. Given his review of her performance in '06 -- I believe the operative word is "scathing" -- his take on today's development is already atop my morning must-read list.

Update, 3:17 p.m. PST Canadian Maelle Ricker just gave the host country its second gold medal of the games, beating France's Deborah Anthonioz (silver) and Swiss racer Olivia Nobs (bronze) in the ladies' snowboardcross final.

Jacobellis officially finished fifth. We'll have more from her, including quotes, in a little bit.

Update, 2:56 p.m. PST Don't say we didn't warn you . . .

There will be no redemptive gold medal for Lindsey Jacobellis in Vancouver. In fact, there will be no medal at all.

Jacobellis clipped a flag and veered off course during the first turn of the second semifinal run, meaning she was disqualified. She immediately raised her arms and looked skyward, then grabbed her helmet with both hands, her disappointment and frustration evident.

It's uncertain at the moment what caused her mishap -- she did not fall, but simply appeared to struggle with her balance briefly after a jump before slipping off the course.

We should note that she showed a sense of irony for the moment:

Completing her run to loud cheers from US fans well after the other three racers, she grabbed her board after going airborne over the final jump -- a similar move to "the Truckdriver grab" that caused her fall, and so much consternation, in Turin.

Update, 2:43 p.m. PST Now that's how you make it look easy.

Jacobellis breezed through the fourth qualifying heat moments ago, winning by roughly have the length of a football field. (That would be 50 yards, I believe.) There are now eight racers remaining as the first heat of two semifinal races is underway.

The Jacobellis story, of course, is one of the more compelling -- and probably well-documented -- of these Olympics. During the Turin Games, she appeared to have a gold medal in hand during the sport's Olympic debut when she went for "method-air" style points on the second-to-last jump near the finish line, crashed, and wound up with the silver.

She was roundly criticized for hot-dogging and taking it too casually ("It was just a race," she said), and the easy angle is that she's looking for redemption here. But there's a cameraderie-before-competition ethos of snowboardcross, and she never seemed particularly bothered by the mainstream perception.

VANCOUVER -- So far, so good for Lindsey Jacobellis this afternoon during ladies' snowboard cross at Cypress Mountain.

The same, however, can't be said for the course itself.

Jacobellis, the 24-year-old Vermonter and Stratton Mountain product, finished second to Switzerland's Mellie Francon in each of her of two qualifying runs, completing the first in 1 minute 26.13 seconds and her second in 1:25.41.

The qualifying runs have been delayed on a couple of occasions to repair problems on the course. The conditions on Cypress Mountain were sloppy and slushy yesterday during Maine native Seth Wescott's gold-medal performance in the men's event, and they are worse today, with fog and rain contributing to the problems.

Workers toting shovels walk on to the course in between every run and fix divots and potholes as well as reshape the contours around the turns.

The mishaps among the competitors have been limited and the cheering crowd -- many holding "Go Lindsey!" signs -- is undeterred, but the conditions are far from ideal.

The quarterfinals are underway now. We'll be back at the top of this post with updates. Jacobellis is about to go now in the fourth heat . . .

Miller time: Actually, maybe that's not the best way to put it since Bode Miller has admitted that his disappointing performance in Turin four years ago could in part be attributed to his affinity for the night life. But the rebellious American downhiller and four-time Olympian says he is taking it more seriously this time around. "I'm psyched. I'm ready to win," said Miller, who owns a US-record 32 World Cup victories but has collected just a pair of silvers in the Olympics, both coming at Salt Lake City in 2002. He's competing in five Alpine events here, and he'll get his first shot at redemption today in the downhill -- presuming the weather cooperates. The race was among the skiing events canceled at warm and rainy Whistler over the weekend. 1:30 p.m.

Maine event: Seth Wescott, whose gold-medal run in the inaugural Olympic men's snowboardcross four years made the wild, crowd-pleasing sport one of the surprise hits of the Turin Games, goes for a repeat today at Cypress Mountain. But the 33-year-old Mainah, who owns a popular restaurant/bar at Sugarloaf Mountain when he's not zipping around on a snowboard somewhere, may not be the best bet to reach the podium on the US team. Teammate Nate Holland, who crashed in Turin and finished 14th, says he has been focused on Vancouver since then. Qualifying heats, 1:30 p.m., 2:45 p.m.; Quarterfinals, 5:26 p.m., 5:32 p.m.; Semifinals, 5:46 p.m.; Finals, 5:52 p.m.

There was good news about Kevin Pearce this morning in a statement released by his publicist.

The Norwich, Vt., snowboarder has taken his next step in rehabilitation from traumatic brain injury suffered Dec. 31 during a training run. Pearce has been transferred from the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City to Craig Hospital in Denver. Craig Hospital is a world-renowned center specializing in the rehabilitation of patients with traumatic brain injury.

“Kevin has made tremendous progress since being admitted to University of Utah Hospital on December 31,” said Dr. Holly Ledyard, who treated Pearce in Utah. “He is able to walk and do many daily activities with some assistance. I asked him how he felt about being discharged from the hospital and he said, 'Excited! I'm ready to keep on going!' His positive attitude and determination will certainly serve him well as he moves on to the next phase of his rehabilitation."

Doctors at Craig Hospital have already begun to assess Pearce’s rehabilitation needs. Dr. Alan Weintraub, who will be leading Pearce’s team at Craig said, “Our goal is to assist Kevin and his family through this challenging journey and help them reach their fullest potential in every phase of recovery.”