Monster Energy’s Jackson ‘Jacko’ Strong Takes Gold in Moto X Best Trick at X Games Shanghai 2019
SHANGHAI (PRWEB) June 01, 2019 -- Jacko is back! Monster Energy congratulates freestyle motocross team rider Jackson ‘Jacko’ Strong on claiming the gold medal in Moto X Best Trick at the inaugural X Games Shanghai 2019 today. In a head-to-head Best Trick session featuring the world’s elite freestyle motocross riders, the 27-year-old from Lockhart, Australia cemented his status as the most successful Best Trick competitor in X Games history by claiming his fifth X Games gold medal.
The first-ever X Games Shanghai 2019 brought the world’s premier action sports spectacle to audiences in China and millions of viewers across the globe via live broadcast on ESPN and partner networks. Next to BMX and skateboarding competitions, the freestyle motocross course at the Shanghai International Tourism and Resorts Zone drew major crowds on day one of the festival event.
Today’s Moto X Best Trick event saw a strong contingent of six Australian riders, plus one rider each from France and Japan, battle it for X Games gold. The open-air course provided riders with two options for launching their Best Trick aerials: a 45-degree kicker ramp over a massive 75-foot gap into a dirt landing and a steep 60-degree Super Kicker ramp for multiple rotations over a shorter gap.
Strong came into the competition just weeks after recovering from yet another injury. He had been battling a staph infection in his leg since the middle of 2018 and had undergone three ankle surgeries in 2019 alone. But having already missed X Games Sydney 2018 – the event’s debut in his homeland Australia – due to injuries, Strong was hungry for a medal in Shanghai.
But merely getting onto the podium proved a fierce battle. Straight out the gate, Australia’s Rob Adelberg clinched the top spot with a massive 96.66-point score in front of France’s Tom Pages. Trailing behind in third place after first trick scores, Strong knew it all came down to the final attempt of the contest. Putting it all on the line, Strong charged the long 75-foot gap and spun a picture-perfect no-handed frontflip that had the crowd off its feet. Extremely difficult to rotate and bring down to a controlled landing – with the added risk factor of raising both hands off the handlebar in mid-air – the trick earned Strong a massive 97.33-point score and the gold medal.
“Coming off an injury, just being here today and riding is amazing. Today could have been anyone’s game and, hey, every dog has his day. I’m stoked and want to keep this momentum going into Minneapolis,” said Strong upon winning gold in Moto X Best Trick today.
Today’s win at X Games Shanghai continues Strong’s perfect attendance record of six medals – five of them gold – in six Moto X Best Trick appearances at X Games. The most winning competitor in Moto X Best Trick history also earned silver medals in Moto X Freestyle (Minneapolis 2018) and Snowmobile Best Trick (Aspen 2018), bringing his total count to eight X Games medals (five gold, three silver).
Known as one of the trailblazers of the sport, Strong already made motocross history by landing the first in-competition front flip in 2011 at X Games XVII in Los Angeles. He trains on his compound in Australia and recently hosted a progression session with the world’s best riders, documented in this year’s boundary-pushing television feature ‘Jackson Strong’s Moto X Dirt Part 2’.
Also putting on a strong show in Shanghai today, Jacko’s Monster Energy teammate and fellow Australian motocross icon Josh Sheehan closely missed the podium in Moto X Best Trick. The seven-time X Games medalist stoked the crowd with a flawless no-handed double backflip off the Super Kicker for 93.00 points and a strong fourth place finish. In his thirteenth X Games appearance, three-time gold medalist Taka Higashino posted a perfect double backflip off the Super Kicker for 88.66 points and sixth place.
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Make sure to tune in on Sunday when the motocross action continues with Moto X Best Whip. In the spectacular show of contorted aerials, called ‘whips’, Strong and Monster Energy teammates Josh Sheehan, Harry Bink, Taka Higashino and defending gold medalist Jarryd McNeil will be sending their best airs over the mega kicker in Shanghai.
If you missed today’s live broadcast from X Games Shanghai 2019, you can watch a full replay on the official X Games YouTube channel online. Additionally, the 60-minute recap ‘Best of Moto X at X Games Shanghai’ will air on ABC as part of the World of X Games series on Saturday, June 15 at 3 p.m. ET/ 2 p.m. PT. Fans can follow the latest news and highlights across ESPN digital platforms, including XGames.com and X Games pages across YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Visit http://www.monsterenergy.com for exclusive updates from X Games Shanghai 2019 including photos, videos, and contest results as they happen. Follow Monster Energy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter for exclusive behind-the-scenes looks in Shanghai.
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About Monster Energy
Based in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer and distributor of energy drinks and alternative beverages. Refusing to acknowledge the traditional, Monster Energy supports the scene and sport. Whether motocross, off-road, NASCAR, MMA, BMX, surf, snowboard, ski, skateboard, or the rock and roll lifestyle, Monster Energy is a brand that believes in authenticity and the core of what its sports, athletes and musicians represent. More than a drink, it’s the way of life lived by athletes, sports, bands, believers and fans. See more about Monster Energy including all of its drinks at http://www.monsterenergy.com.
Kim Dresser, Indie Agency Inc., http://www.indiepragency.com, +1 (949) 300-5546, [email protected]
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