Last Run, Best Run

Steve McCann Jumps to Gold in BMX Freestyle Big Air

 

Sitting in fourth place, Australia’s Steve McCann took the ramp for his final run knowing he would need a big score to jump into medal contention.

And he did just that, scoring a 91.66 with a double front double whip.

“It couldn’t have been better for TV,” an elated McCann said. “Coming down to the last run, I just knew I had to stick with my game plan and I kept telling myself I could do it over and over in my head. Finally I had a run that worked out. I’m definitely bruised up, sore and I’m happy.”

McCann took first from his fellow countryman, rookie Vince Byron who scored a 90.66 on his second run, but broke his handle bars and was unable to make his final two runs.

“I did a flip double tail whip over the 70-foot jump and a 520-tuck on the quarter(pipe),” said Byron about his final run. “I landed a bit low, but I still pulled it.  Unfortunately I broke my bars and I wasn’t able to do any more runs.  I am stoked I placed where I did on that one run, but props to Steve – he just killed it.”

Gilroy California’s Chad Kagy took home the bronze with a best score of 89.33.

The Big Air competition features BMX athletes who have the option of dropping in from either a 60-foot or 80-foot high perch, which then launches them over their choice of a 50-foot or 70-foot gap and continues into a 27-foot quarterpipe.  Each competitor takes four runs and are judged on a combination score of which trick they complete over the gap and any trick that they do off the quarterpipe before they land.  The competition is not timed and is judged on style, creativity and amplitude.

For X Games media information, including press releases, logos and additional images from past events, log on to www.espneventmedia.com. To view medalist runs, visit the Winter X Games You Tube Channel – https://www.youtube.com/xgames and follow the X Games on Twitter at Twitter.com/xgames

 

X Games 17

In its ninth year in Los Angeles, X Games 17 will feature more than 200 athletes at competition venues and event spaces including STAPLES Center and Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE. The 17^th annual action sports competition to be held in Los Angeles July 28 – 31 and will debut the new discipline of Enduro X, as well as the first-ever rally street circuit running through the downtown area. ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC will combine to telecast 25 hours of live X Games 17 competition. In addition to the 25  original hours in high definition, the Worldwide Leader in Action Sports will also televise 18 hours of X Games action on ESPN 3D. More than 25 hours will also be distributed on ESPN3.com.   

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Katie Moses-Swope, 310-339-4552, [email protected]

Alex Rozis (Broadcast media), 415-609-0749, [email protected]

Grace Coryell (Online and Radio media), 310-956-5098, [email protected]