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NYQUIST DEFENDS X GAMES BIKE STUNT PARK TITLE

Versatile champ snags second X Games IX gold medal

LOS ANGELES - Ryan Nyquist dominated the park and the competition at the X Games Bike Stunt Park final en route to his second gold medal at X Games IX. The X Games IX Bike Stunt Park final brought together the world's premier Bike Stunt athletes, pitting dirt and vert ramp riders head to head on a world-class outdoor course at STAPLES Center. The contest showcased defending X Games Bike Stunt Park champion Nyquist (Greenville, N.C.) against a field of elite riders, including twenty-year-old silver medallist Gary Young (San Diego, Calif.), and the popular third place veteran, Dave Mirra (Greenville, N.C.).

Nyquist also won gold at the X Games Bike Stunt Dirt Thursday night with a dramatic come-from-behind victory. In the Park final, Nyquist didn?t need any last minute heroics to capture the gold, topping the leaderboard early in the second heat with a daunting score of 95.00 on his first run.

Nyquist?s second run was the last of the competition. With his victory secure, Nyquist treated the crowd to an exuberant ?glory run? that featured a special turndown variation and several difficult spin tricks. Nyquist?s virtually flawless first run was even more impressive, and included a seemingly impossible 540 truck to 720 line with huge air. In his winning run, Nyquist also nailed a unique flair variation and 360 backflip barspin.

"I wasn?t as stressed as at dirt, and I had my best grind ever,"? said Nyquist, "I had the whole run in my head, went big and nailed it. I'm stoked."? Nyquist's run vaulted him to first place on the leaderboard, comfortably ahead of Young who had a score of 92.40. Young put on an impressive show in what was only his second X Games appearance, happy to be taking home the silver.

"Nyquist is such an awesome competitor,"? said Young, ?"To come out and get second to him was amazing. I went out and had as much fun as I could. I can?t wait to come back next year."

Dave Mirra, who won the Bike Stunt Park at the 2003 X Games Global Championship in San Antonio, took third place with a solid 89.40 second run, featuring a 360 backflip to 360 tailwhip line. Dave Mirra is the most decorated Bike Stunt rider in X Games history with fourteen medals, eleven of them gold.

"I could have done a lot better,"? said Mirra. ?"I just didn?t have enough today, but I had a blast."

The ninth annual X Games in Los Angeles showcases more than 300 of the world's best action sports athletes competing in a variety of sports categories for medals and prize money from August 14-17. STAPLES Center serves as the primary venue for the X Games, and will host competitions in Aggressive In-line Skate, Bike Stunt, Moto X, and Skateboard. The Moto X Freestyle event will be held at the Los Angeles Coliseum at night under the lights on August 16, and Wakeboard will be held at Long Beach Marine Stadium. Competitions that take place the week prior include Surfing at Huntington Beach and Downhill BMX at Woodward West in Stallion Springs.

X Games IX will air on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC August 16-21, including a live telecast of the Bike Stunt Vert competition on Sunday, August 17 from 7-9 pm ET on ABC -- the first time an action sports competition will be aired on a broadcast network in primetime.

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Complete listings of all results and releases from X Game IX are on www.espneventmedia.com

Contacts: Maria Elles Scott, cell 213-276-2803, maria.elles.scott@espn.com
Melissa Gullotti, cell 802-236-9349, melissa.c.gullotti@espn.com

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