Monster Energy congratulates its team of skateboard athletes on a dominant performance on the final day of X Games Chiba 2022.
CHIBA, Japan, April 25, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The first edition of X Games in Japan just ended with a bang! Monster Energy congratulates its team of skateboard athletes on a dominant performance on the final day of X Games Chiba 2022. On day three of competitions in Japan, the Monster Energy team claimed four medals (1 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze) from three skateboard events in the world's premium action sports showcase.
In the biggest news of the day, 14-year-old skateboard phenomenon Rayssa Leal from Imperatriz, Brazil, rose all the way to the top to claim her first career X Games gold in Women's Skateboard Street. Also causing a major upset, 15-year-old Monster Energy rider Daiki Ikeda from Tokyo, Japan, took the silver medal in the high stakes Men's Skateboard Street event. The Men's Skateboard Park final wrapped with Australian Monster Energy rider Kieran Woolley claiming silver and Monster Army rider Liam Pace taking bronze.
Supported by Monster Energy as the official energy drink partner, X Games Chiba 2022 marked the 64th edition of X Games since the event's inception in 1995. More than 90 athletes from 18 countries competed for a total of 30 medals awarded in 10 competitions across three sports inside ZOZO Marine Stadium on Tokyo Bay.
During three days of competitions, the Monster Energy team claimed 11 medals at X Games Chiba 2022 (2 gold, 4 silver, 5 bronze) from BMX, Moto X, and Skateboard events.
Here's how the action unfolded for team Monster Energy on the final day of X Games Chiba 2022:
Women's Skateboard Street: Monster Energy's Rayssa Leal Claims First Career X Games Gold
On Sunday, the world's most talented female skateboarders competed in the Women's Skateboard Street final. Eight finalists took on the California Skateparks-designed obstacle course inside ZOZO Marine Stadium loaded with handrails banks, and stair sets. Countries represented included Australia, Brazil, Japan, and the United States.
Monster Energy's Rayssa Leal from Imperatriz, Brazil, dropped in as a podium favorite after claiming the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics last summer. The young skateboard prodigy with an Instagram following of 6.6 million had also earned two wins during the last season of Street League Skateboarding (SLS).
As the 30-minute jam session got underway, Leal cemented her top spot straight out the gate on her first run. Skating with style and control, Leal put down a frontside feeble the big rail, kickflip backside lipslide, backside Smith grind the A-frame rail, kickflip the London Gap, ollie through the swan kicker, and a frontside blunt slide the big rail. As the rest of the field struggled to catch up, Leal also put down a backside lipslide the big rail on her next run and earned gold as the youngest female gold medalist in X Games history.
"I was not worried. I have confidence in my skating. Every day, I train, and I know what I need to do. But more than anything I am having fun," said Leal upon winning the gold medal at X Games Chiba 2022.
Sunday's gold medal marks Leal's first X Games podium after finishing in fourth place at X Games 2019. The Brazilian skateboard phenom stepped into the international spotlight in 2015 at the age of 6 via a viral video of her heelflipping down a set of stairs dressed in a fairy costume. Leal took silver in Women's Street Skateboarding at the Tokyo Olympics and second place in Women's Street at the SLS Super Crown World Championship 2021.
Men's Skateboard Park: Monster Energy's Kieran Woolley Takes Silver, Liam Pace Bronze
Also on Sunday, the epic course at ZOZO Marine Stadium showcased the high-energy Men's Skateboard Park final. Eight riders attacked the sprawling obstacle course, representing Australia, Japan, and the United States. Winners were crowned on the strength of the best 40-second run.
Monster Energy team rider Kieran Woolley from Minnamurra, Australia, entered the contest as a wildcard after recently taking second place at Cowtown's 2022 PHXAM contest. The 18-year-old ripper, who also competed in the Skateboard Street event, lost no time, and put down a dominant second run that put him in a podium position.
In a showcase of style and spontaneous trick variations, Woolley attacked the Chiba course with alley-oop frontside 5-0 grind the extension, frontside feeble grind the deep end, backside crossbone air, frontside boneless, frontside nosegrind transfer the extension, Indy heelflip, frontside Smith grind the deep end, frontside invert, Indy varial kickflip and a technical eggplant revert the deep end for the silver medal.
Woolley earned viral fame for knocking over a cameraman at the Tokyo Olympics last summer, where he finished in fifth place. He won the Red Bull Cold Bowl contest in Philadelphia in December 2021. In 2022, readers of Australian Slam Magazine voted him New Gen of the Year in the Skater of the Year Awards.
The Australian was joined on the podium by defending gold medalist and Monster Army rider Liam Pace from Tucson, Arizona. The 21-year-old, who also won bronze in the 2019 U.S. Nationals, came in as a strong contender but injured his foot on the first run of the final.
Nevertheless, Pace persevered and put down a strong performance for a podium finish in bronze medal position. Highlights for Pace included frontside feeble and backside Smith grind the corner, Indy 360 air the hip, nosegrind transfer the extension, Indy 540 the deep end, backside 50-50 transfer the corner, crossbone air to tail, frontside air revert the hip and Caballerial disaster the deep end for third place.
Men's Skateboard Street: Japanese Rookie Daiki Ikeda Takes Silver Medal
For the grand finale, Men's Skateboard Street concluded X Games Chiba 2022 with a major upset. Due to rain, the final featuring eight of the world's top street skateboarders was cut short to only two runs per rider. But this left enough space for X Games rookie and 15-year-old Monster Energy rider Daiki Ikeda to clinch the silver medal with an incredible first run.
Straight out the gate, the teen sensation from Tokyo, Japan, put down a showcase of technical difficulty on the street course. Ikeda hit the handrail with a big flip frontside boardslide, followed by a kickflip frontside bluntslide the rail, 270 lipslide revert the rail, 360 flip the swan kicker, and a massive hardflip the big stair set. As the rest of the field struggled to put down runs before the rain ended the contest, Ikeda upped the ante by almost landing a double 360 kickflip on his second run before finishing in second place behind Japan's Yuto Horigome in first.
Sunday's silver marks the first X Games medal for 15-year-old Ikeda. The rookie already won gold in the Junior Street Division at X Games Minneapolis 2019 when he was only 13. Watch out for this kid in the future!
And that's a wrap! Again, congratulations to the Monster Energy team on an incredible bounty of 11 medals at X Games Chiba 2022 (2 gold, 4 silver, 5 bronze).
Thanks to the entire team at ESPN and organizers in Japan for making X Games history with this outstanding showcase for action sports.
Didn't catch today's live stream? X Games fans in the United States can watch replays of competition coverage from the inaugural X Games Chiba event on the official X Games YouTube channel. Additionally, two hours of event recap coverage will air on ABC as part of the World of X Games series on May 14 and 21 from 2 – 3 p.m. ET.
Visit http://www.monsterenergy.com for exclusive content from X Games Chiba 2022 including photos, videos, and contest results as they happen. Follow Monster Energy on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
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About Monster Energy
Based in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer 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.
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