X Games Aspen 2022 Highlights
Halfpipe Gold for Sildaro
In the absence of Chinese American Elaine Gu, three-time medalist last year, Estonian Kelly Seldaro found a taste of victory in Half Pipe (but seventh in downhill style). Since her first post on 13 in 2016, she has collected 6 titles for 10 medals in total.
Sadowski-Synnott gold double against American legend Anderson
At the age of 31, American Jamie Anderson improved her medal record in the X Games (21), adding two silvers this weekend in Aspen. The Olympic double champion was defeated only by New Zealand star Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, who (like Ledeux) won the gold double in figure skating and downhill air. The 16-year-old Olympic bronze medalist (in the big air), two-time world champion in swimming, sent a strong message to the competition two weeks before the Olympics.
McMorris still beats Shaun White
21 Winter X Games medals, of which 10 are gold. By dominating the downhill event for the sixth time, Canadian Mark McMorris broke the record held by three-time Olympic champion Shawn White on Saturday. 10 times winner of the X Games (plus 8 in silver and 3 in bronze), Mark, already the holder of the most medals in the winter edition (beating Shaun White in 2020), will be one of the favorites to win the Olympic title in Beijing.
Triple cork for Hirano and gold for James
Japan’s Ayumu Hirano landed with a triple cork (half tube skateboard), but fell on the next trick of his run. This left the way for Australian Scotty James to present himself the gold medal without releasing this famous character, which Hirano made his debut in competition at the Dew Tour, in December, and which many of them succeeded in training. For the Olympics?
Complete confidence before the Olympics
While some decided to skip this US version of the X Games two weeks before the Beijing Olympics, due to the health crisis or to avoid travel fatigue, the gold medalists certainly gained Beijing’s confidence. This is the case of Alex Hall (big air skating), Andri Ragettli (alpine skating), Markus Cleveland (big figure skating), and Nico Porteous (half-pipe skating), the winners of the Aspen.
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