Wilson Coolair Motul Factory Suzuki’s Todd Waters made a positive return to the world stage at last weekend’s 2016 FIM Motocross of Nations in Maggiora, Italy, placing inside the top 10.

The likeable Queenslander represented the country in the MXGP category, recording an impressive 7-14 scorecard despite a crash in each moto, awarding him eighth overall while also assisting Team Australia to eighth in the nations standings.

“In the first moto we came seventh and made a mistake and dropped back, but my speed was really good,” Waters recalled following the opening moto. “I started around eighth [in moto two] and dropped it on the first lap back to 16th, and finished 14th. So it was a super tricky track to pass on and the start made a pretty big difference.”

“Team Australia finished eighth which was the same as last year, we were hoping to better it but that’s the way it goes. The MXoN is like our Olympics, so it’s an honour to put on the green and gold and race against three of the best from each country – it’s a hell of a race.”

Waters previously contested the premier FIM World Motocross Championship in 2014 and 2015, before returning home to Australia to take part in the 2016 Motul MX Nationals and Australian Supercross Championship.

“Overall it was really cool to come over to Maggiora and see everybody and race the guys that I used to race in the past two years in the GP’s,” he added.

The 25-year-old will now return home to recommence supercross preparations for round two of the Australian series scheduled to take place on 14 October, in Toowoomba, Queensland.