Snowboarder Danny Davis will not compete at Vancouver Olympics

Danny Davis' back injury, suffered during an accident Sunday morning while he rode an ATV in Utah, will sideline him for the year and prevent him from being able to compete in next month's Vancouver Olympics.

A report on Davis' Facebook page vaguely mentions the nature of the accident and confirms the news many had expected: that Davis will not be able to compete at the Olympics in honor of best friend Kevin Pearce, who remains hospitalized with a severe brain injury suffered during a halfpipe wipeout on Dec. 31.

Davis is undergoing surgery in Utah to repair an L3 spine fracture. Doctors are hopeful that he'll fully recover. Meanwhile, here's hoping this is the last U.S. snowboarder to go down. An Olympic podium sweep for the U.S. men's halfpipe team is still possible, perhaps even likely, but for now luck is not in its favor. The team will be named after the final Grand Prix qualifiers on Friday and Saturday at Park City Mountain Resort in Utah.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo of Danny Davis courtesy of Moran/Burton