Australia's X Games athletes have scored medals in multiple Moto X divisions in Los Angeles this week, records have been set, ground breaking tricks have gone down and some hard spills have been taken as the event wraps up for its' 18th straight year.
Australia’s X Games athletes have scored medals in multiple Moto X divisions in Los Angeles this week, records have been set, ground breaking tricks have gone down and some hard spills have been taken as the event wraps up for its’ 18th straight year.
Jackson ‘Jacko’ Strong took gold in the Moto X Best Trick event with an all-new body varial named ‘The Jack’. After winning the 2011 event with the first-ever front flip landed in competition, Strong this year became Australia’s first to win back-to-back gold medals in the X Games Moto X Best Trick category.
“It was great to finally roll out the new trick,” Strong said. “It has been six months in the making and to be honest, it is quite a scary one to put down.
“There was a lot of work go into perfecting this jump. I did a weeks circus school training to learn the various techniques required for the off bike movement and countless hours in the foam pit.”
Behind strong was Japan’s Taka Higashino in second with his all-new Rock-Solid Backflip, while Australia’s Cam Sinclair once again landed his signature double backflip which almost cost him his life in 2009, earning himself the bronze medal spot.
“I have been working on doing no handed double flips for a couple of years on and off and I really thought that I could get it done this year – but it wasn’t to be,” said Sinclair.
“I couldn’t get it consistently enough into the foam pit this week to take the risk, so I stuck to what I knew I could do and I’m really stoked with the result.”
Although fellow Australian’s Mark Monea and Clinton Moore were not so successful, unable to land their innovative tricks the ‘Carry On’ and 720, respectively.
Monea is dissapointed with the result and will work hard in a bid to stick his trick in 2013.
“I’m devastated, because I know I can land this trick and I have done a number of times. I felt relaxed this week,” said Monea. “I’m just going to keep working hard and do my best to come back even better prepared for next year.”
Moto X Freestyle saw Higashino take home the gold with a solid run which included his all-new backflip variation, New Zealand’s Levi Sherwood brought home second in front of multiple X Games medalist Nate Adams who rounded out the top three.
Former Moto X Freestyle winner Blake ‘Bilko’ Williams finished up in fourth with fellow Aussie Rob Adelberg taking home seventh overall in the event.
In the Moto X Best Whip category it was Jeremy ‘Twitch’ Stenberg who once again took the gold medal, while Australia’s Jarryd McNeil brought home the silver with Todd Potter rounding out the top three.
McNeil again showcased his unique style while laying the bike out upside down, but the public vote went to Stenberg’s advantage making him a two-time winner in 2012.
The Sony Step Up contenders rose to new heights as Ronnie Renner took out the gold medal with a record 47 foot leap (over 14 metres) above the stadium floor, former winner Matt Buyten took out second place with the veteran Brian Deegan bringing home third.
17-year-old Australian young gun Meghan Rutledge took a solid fourth place finish on her X Games debut in the Women’s Moto X Racing event, behind Livia Lancelot, Tarah Gieger and winner Vicki Golden who took her second consecutive gold medal.
In Moto X Speed and Style Australia saw its shot at gold go down before the event began as Robbie ‘Maddo’ Maddison took a hard fall in practice, the crash resulted in broken ribs, a collapsed lung and a laceration to leg for Maddo. Click here for the full story.
It was Mike Mason who took home the Speed and Style gold, his first-ever, after a close battle with Adams in the final, rounding out the top three in the event was Ronnie Faisst.