X Games Minneapolis 2018 Day Three News and Results
X Games Minneapolis 2018 Day Three News and Results – Sorgente Defends Gold in Toyota Men’s Skateboard Park, Duran Snags First in SoFi Women’s Street, McNeil Goes Double Gold in Moto X Best Whip and LifeProof Step Up, Loupos Tops Podium in Fruit of the Loom BMX Dirt and Brusco Rolls Away With Gold in The Real Cost Skateboard Big Air
X Games Minneapolis continued Saturday as 47,000 fans passed through the gates at U.S. Bank Stadium to watch the most talented action sports athletes in the world compete in a wide range of events including The Real Cost Skateboard Big Air, the Fruit of the Loom BMX Dirt Final and the crowd favorite Monster Energy Moto X Best Trick.
Kicking things off, LifeProof Moto X Step Up proved a showdown between riders Jarryd McNeil, Libor Podmol and Colby Raha. With all riders clearing the 41-foot mark, the bar was raised to a staggering 43 feet, setting the stage for Jarryd McNeil to repeat his gold medal effort from last year, as he was the only rider to shoot out of the gate with enough gas to clear the mark, over four stories high. McNeil, who hails from Yarrawonga, Australia, has dominated the event since 2016, bringing his winning streak to three years.
The first of three Skateboard competitions today saw Alex Sorgente defend his gold from last year at the Toyota Men’s Skateboard Park Final. Wasting no time, it was Sorgente’s first effort that stood up against every run the other eleven riders put down Saturday afternoon. Taking a unique approach to the course and with a risky trick selection that included an ally-pop wall ride and a kickflip indy, Sorgente took his 89.00 and held on to the top spot the rest of the competition. Twenty year old Tristan Rennie earned his first X Games medal with a silver in a run highlighted by a smooth 540 nosegrab. Tom Schaar grabbed bronze, upping his X Games medal count to eight.
Afterwards, crowds shifted their gaze to the adjacent Park course to watch Mariah Duran piece together a podium topping run in the SoFi Women’s Skateboard Park Final. With effortless style, Duran cruised through her run, landing difficult tricks like a kickflip 50-50, a frontside lip slide and a frontside 360 to take her first gold at X Games. Awarded a score of 87.66, it was enough to edge out last year’s winner Aori Nishimura who posted a 86.00 after her second run. Rounding out the podium was Alexis Sablone, a Brooklyn based architect and three-time gold medalist.
What followed next was one of the most hard-fought and progressive competitions seen at X Games in recent years. With five scores in the 90’s, the Fruit of the Loom BMX Dirt Finals was ultimately won by Aussie, and X Games rookie, Brandon Loupos. Lining up a combination of tricks that included a double backflip, a cash roll, a triple tail whip and a flair double tailwhip, the Australian’s third run score of 95.00 beat out Logan Martin’s valiant effort in which he landed an equally impressive run earning a 94.00. Taking bronze was another X Games rookie, 23-year-old Brian Fox.
Returning to Moto X action, again it was the Jarryd McNeil show as he took his second gold of the day in Moto X Best Whip. Beating out Japan’s Genki Wantanabi and California’s Axell Hodges, this marked McNeil’s 11th X Games medal making him the most decorated Australian athlete in X Games history.
Next up, the Monster Energy Moto X Best Trick got underway as three time winner Jackson Strong reclaimed gold for the first time since 2016. In the end it was his front flip no hander that impressed the judges most. Scoring a 93.00 was enough to top last night’s Moto X Freestyle winner, Tom Pages’, no handed double backflip for the win. Pages in turn, narrowly beat 29-year-old Rob Adelberg who earned bronze.
Fittingly, a day of such intense competition came down to a legendary event in the highly anticipated The Real Cost Skateboard Big Air Finals. With a total of five runs to work with, Mitchie Brusco finally got his gold in Big Air. After three failed attempts, the fourth time was a charm as Brusco landed his run, a backside 180 kickflip indy into a cab 1080 Mellon on the 27-foot quaterpipe drawing a score of 92.00. Brusco’s roommate Clay Kreiner snuck into second place on his final attempt with a backside 720 indy into a supersized alley-oop varial 540 for a score of 91.00 while 17-year-old Trey Wood took home his first X Games medal with a bronze.
Without delay crowds then moved venues to join the party as Brother Ali and the iconic Ice Cube closed out the day with a legendary set at The Armory.
Festivities conclude Sunday with the Harley-Davidson Flat Track and Harley-Davidson Hooligan Racing Finals, the Women’s Skateboard Park Finals, the Toyota Men’s BMX Park Final and the prestigious Monster Energy Men’s Skateboard Street Final. Grammy Award winner Zedd then officially wraps X Games Minneapolis 2018 with a can’t-miss performance immediately following the final event.
Results
Skateboard Big Air Final
1. Mitchie Brusco, 92.00 (USA)
2. Clay Kreiner, 91.00 (USA)
3. Trey Wood, 90.00 (USA)
4. Robyn Gomes, 87.00 (BRA)
5. Tom Schaar, 85.00 (USA)
6. Jake Brown, 77.33 (USA)
7. Toby Ryan, 66.00 (USA)
8. Italo Penarrubia, 43.66 (BRA)
9. Elliot Sloan, 40.33 (USA)
10. Edgard Pereira, 34.33 (BRA)
Toyota Men’s Skateboard Park Final
1. Alex Sorgente, 89.00 (USA)
2. Tristan Ronnie, 87.66 (USA)
3. Tom Schaar, 85.33 (USA)
4. Pedro Barros, 82.00 (BRA)
5. Clay Kreiner, 80.33 (USA)
6. Trey Wood, 78.66 (USA)
7. Jagger Eaton, 74.33 (USA)
8. Heimana Reynolds, 71.66 (USA)
9. Cory Juneau, 65.33 (USA)
10. Keegan Palmer, 63.00 (AUS)
11. Chris Russell, 62.33 (USA)
12. Oskar Rozenberg, 57.33 (SWE)
SoFi Women’s Skateboard Street Final
1. Mariah Duran, 87.66 (USA)
2. Aori Nishimura, 86.00 (JPN)
3. Alexis Sablone, 84.00 (USA)
4. Leticia Bufoni, 83.00 (BRA)
5. Pamela Rosa, 82.00 (BRA)
6. Nanaka Fujisawa, 80.00 (JPN)
7. Julia Brueckler, 70.00 (AUS)
8. Lacy Baker, 62.66 (USA)
Fruit of the Loom BMX Dirt Final
1. Brandon Loupos, 95.00 (AUS)
2. Logan Martin, 94.00 (AUS)
3. Brian Fox, 92.33 (AUS)
4. Colton Walker, 91.66 (USA)
5. Kyle Baldock, 91.33 (AUS)
6. Mike Varga, 89.66 (CAN)
7. Daniel Sandoval, 88.66 (USA)
8. Leandro Moreira, 87.00 (BRA)
9. Dawid Godziek, 86.33 (POL)
10. Pat Casey, 86.00 (USA)
LifeProof Moto X Step Up Final
1. Jarryd McNeil, 43’0” (AUS)
2. Libor Podmol, 41’0” (CZE)
3. Colby Raha, 41’0” (USA)
4. Ronnie Renner, 38’0” (USA)
5. Bryce Hudson, 34’0” (USA)
Moto X Best Whip Final
1. Jarryd McNeil, 91.66 (AUS)
2. Genki Wantanabe, 91.33 (JPN)
3. Axell Hodges, 90.33 (USA)
4. Tyler Bereman, 90.00 (USA)
5. Kris Foster, 86.00 (CAN)
6. Josh Sheehan, 84.00 (AUS)
7. Tom Parsons, 78.66 (USA)
8. Nate Adams, 70.33 (USA)
Monster Energy Moto X Best Trick Final
1. Jackson Strong, 93.00 (AUS)
2. Tom Pages, 91.66 (FRA)
3. Rob Adelberg, 91.00 (AUS)
4. Josh Sheehan, 90.00 (AUS)
5. Harry Bink, 88.33 (AUS)
6. Taka Higashino, 86.00 (JPN)
7. Luc Ackerman, 84.66 (GER)
8. Libor Podmol, 83.33 (CZE)