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SOCHI, Russia -- The ashes of Canadian freestyle skier Sarah Burke were spread in the Olympic halfpipe, high on a mountain above it and also near the Olympic rings in the athletes village. 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 from Squamish, B.C., says he distributed the ashes in the halfpipe prior to the competition. "That was a little bit of a stealth mission," Paynter said Saturday. "I feel pretty good about knowing Sarah was all over these Olympics in our hearts and quite literally too." Burke was a four-time X Games champion and a driving force behind the inclusion of both halfpipe and slopestyle in the Sochi Olympics. She spent her early years in Barrie, Ont., but was living in Squamish when she died. Burke competed against men until there was a womens event. A leading contender for gold in Russia, she died at age 29 two years before her sports introduction into the Winter Games. Paynter went alone on a gondola as high as he could on the mountain above Rhosa Khutor Extreme Park to leave some of Burkes ashes there. The urn he carried was also in a freestyle team picture at the Olympic rings in the athletes village. Prior to the start of womens freestyle halfpipe Thursday at Rhosa Khutor, volunteers slid down the course in a heart-shaped formation in memory of Burke "This event really, I feel, had Sarah at the core of it in so many ways," Paynter said. Australian snowboarder Torah Bright, who won Olympic halfpipe gold, in 2010 was incensed the International Olympic Committee would not allow her to wear the "Sarah" stickers on her helmet and snowboard that she sports in other competitions. "The sticker thing for us was really no big deal," Paynter said. "We knew the way the protocols worked here. We knew for a couple of years we wouldnt be wearing stickers here. The rest of the season, I have Sarah stickers all over my stuff." Burkes husband Rory Bushfield and Paynter are friends and the two had discussed a plan to bring her ashes to the Winter Games in Sochi. The Canadian Olympic Committee provided a glass container and Paynter carried the container in a leather holster with Burkes name on it. During a quiet moment on the first training day, Paynter was able to "poach a couple pipe laps." "I know Sarah wanted to get some hits in the pipe so she got those," he said. The freestyle skiers won seven medals in Sochi and the most by one sport on the Canadian team. Canada also won a pair of medals in ski cross and while the international governing body of skiing considers it a freestyle discipline, Alpine Canada administers it domestically as a speed sport. Although the Canadian women finished off the podium in halfpipe, Mike Riddle of Sherwood Park, Alta., took silver in the first mens event. "Shed just be thrilled with everything from Mike winning a medal to the women just performing at such a high level," Paynter said. EASTBOURNE, England -- Former champions Caroline Wozniacki and Ekaterina Makarova headed in different directions in the Aegon International quarterfinals on Thursday. Wozniacki, champion in 2009, held off a strong challenge from Camila Giorgi of Italy 6-7 (7), 6-4, 6-2. Makarova, the 2010 champ from Russia, fell to fifth seed Angelique Kerber 6-2, 6-1, with the German avenging her second-round defeat to Makarova last year. Meanwhile, 2011 Wimbledon champ Petra Kvitova withdrew with a right hamstring injury but expects to play in Wimbledon next week. Wozniacki and Giorgi were interrupted in the second set when a spectator was removed from the stands on a stretcher as Giorgi led 4-3 on serve. When play resumed, Giorgi failed to win a break point to lead 5-3 and Wozniacki went on to win three straight games to level at one-set all. Wozniacki remained under pressure in the final set, fighting off two break points before breaking to lead 2-1. A double-fault at 4-2 left Wozniacki serving for victory, and in sight of her first title since October. "It feels good," Wozniacki said of her win. "Game feels in really good shape. Camila played really well. I really had to be focused out there." Kerber fought off four break points just to hold for 1-1 before taking charge against Makarova, breaking twice to take the set. In the second set, she needed four break points to win the first game before once more dominating Makarova. "It was not as easy as the score said, because there were tough rallies," Kerber said. "Shes a ggreat player on grass, so I was just focusing on me, trying to be aggressive and take my chances.ddddddddddddI did a good job." Kvitovas withdrawal gave British wild card Heather Watson a walkover into the semifinals. Watson will meet Madison Keys, who beat fellow American Lauren Davis, a qualifier, 6-2, 6-1. Wozniacki faces Kerber. Mens top seed Richard Gasquet also reached the semis, beating Slovak Martin Klizan 6-3, 6-4. It is his third semifinal of the year and comes after he was sidelined for more than three months with a back injury. The Frenchman, who claimed the title in 2005 and 2006 when the event was held in Nottingham, broke for 3-1. That was enough to earn him the opening set, and in the second set he again fought off a break point before breaking to lead 4-3. Gasquet is playing only his third tournament since March, and admits that although he is progressing he is still not fully fit. "Its always difficult to come back," Gasquet said. "You are questioning yourself every day on your body. Im not 100 per cent on my game and everything, but Im playing better and better. I served well. I could play with power." Gasquet will next play Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan, who beat Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France 7-6 (5), 6-2. Spanish defending champion Feliciano Lopez will play his quarterfinal against Jeremy Chardy of France on Friday after the match was cancelled overnight due to rain. The winner will play Sam Querrey, also on Friday, after the American beat Frenchman Julien Benneteau 7-6 (5), 6-4. ' ' '