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ESPN proudly lifted the curtain on a new destination for X Games at a one-of-a-kind venue adjacent to Shanghai Disney Park in Shanghai with an action-packed first day. Today and continuing into tomorrow, the venue will bear witness to Moto X, BMX and Skateboard athletes competing for gold in addition to a wide range of entertainment and interactive activities in X Fest.
Today’s action kicked off with the Men’s Skateboard Street Elimination, where Japan’s Yuto Horigome took the top spot. The Japanese skater threw down a solid run to best the other competitors, including a feeble to 180 out and a cab back lip slide. Dashawn Jordan, Vincent Milou, Jake Ilardi, Ivan Monteiro and Luan Oliveira also qualified for the final competition, taking place on Sunday.
Women’s Skateboard Street started off today’s finals, where Brazilian fan-favorite Leticia Bufoni took home her fifth X Games gold medal with a score of 84.33. Bufoni winning gold tied Elissa Steamer’s record for most gold in Women’s Skateboard Street, a record which has stood since X Games Los Angeles in 2008. With tricks including a Nollie 360, feeble grind, frontside 180 and a straight ollie off the dragon feature in her first and winning run, Bufoni bested Aussie Hayley Williams (84.00) and American Alexis Sablone (81.66), who also had a chance to tie Steamer’s record going into the event.
Australian favorite Jackson “Jacko” Strong took back the top spot in Moto X Best Trick, with a no-handed front flip earning him a near-perfect 97.33. Strong, the most successful Moto X Best Trick competitor in X Games history, missed the most recent competitions at X Games Sydney and Snow Bike Best Trick at X Games Aspen, but has now earned a perfect six medals in six starts for Moto X Best Trick. Fellow Aussie Rob Adelberg, who also threw a no-handed front flip, took silver by a slim margin (96.66) and Frenchman Tom Pages took bronze with an impressive flat 360 (95.00).
The final competition of the evening was BMX Big Air, where Australia’s Ryan Williams defended gold with a mind-blowing frontflip bri-flip over the gap and frontflip flair on the quarterpipe. Williams’ first X Games competition was only X Games Minneapolis 2018, and while he missed the podium on his first appearance, he’s won gold both times subsequently. Williams edged out Vince Byron on the last run of the competition. Fellow Aussie Byron took silver (91.66) and American James Foster added to his medal collection with bronze (87.66).
Following competition, musical performances took place in X Fest, with Chinese artists Ryotracks and Soft Lipa. The second and final day of X Games Shanghai continues tomorrow with four more competitions: BMX Street, Moto X Best Whip, Men’s Skateboard Street and Skateboard Big Air, along with musical performances from VaVa, Chang Chen Yue and MC HotDog.
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