Rob Adelberg wins best trick at the X Games event in Salt Lake City, Utah. Photo: Ryne Swanberg
Benalla Moto X rider Rob Adelberg is in rarefied air following his latest exploits at the recent X Games event in Salt Lake City, Utah, earning his 10th X Games gold medal after taking out the Moto X Best Trick category.
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The win, which came on June 28 in the United States, makes it back-to-back titles for Adelberg, who also claimed victory in the same category at the Osaka X Games a week prior.
But while the Benalla product’s win in Osaka was relatively straightforward, having posted the best score of the competition on his first run to sew up first place, it was the total opposite at Salt Lake City.
As the final rider in the running order, Adelberg watched each of his competitors land the first of their tricks, including a mightily impressive effort from fellow Australian Tom Richards on debut to set a benchmark of 93 points – better than Adelberg’s gold effort of 92.66 in Osaka.
When Adelberg’s opportunity for his first run came around, however, it was nowhere near Richards’ effort, with a lack of rotation denying him the chance to add a variation and slotting him into fifth with a score of 84.33.
As the second round got under way, Adelberg had a nervy wait as the final rider in the queue, but as his competitors took off and landed one by one, no-one was able to better the score of 93 set by Richards, meaning it all came down to Australia’s most successful X Games export’s final attempt.
In yet another world-first, Adelberg hit the ramp and rotated his bike forward, reaching back and popping himself off the bike while upside down to complete a front flip seat-grab stripper flip, a completely absurd acrobatic combination that had never been landed in competition, barely hanging on to his bike as he touched down after getting his foot partly stuck mid-trick.
Rob Adelberg wins best trick at the X Games event in Salt Lake City, Utah. Photo: Ryne Swanberg
Adelberg lapped up the raucous applause from the crowd as all eyes turned to the screens, at which point the trio of judges released their scores – 95 for Adelberg, moving him straight into first place and notching his 10th gold at the X Games, a feat he could barely believe.
“I was a little bit nervous, I like to get it done in the first (run),” Adelberg said on the X Games broadcast following the win.
“I put all the pressure on myself, but got it done in the second (run). At home, my fenders are a little bit cut, so that was the first time with this fender and my foot got stuck, but we pulled it.
“Tenth gold medal and I’m going to share the podium with two of these young fellas that I grew up with training, it’s sick.”
Rob Adelberg wins best Moto X trick at the X Games in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Photo by
JEFF ZIELINSKI
The win is Adelberg’s sixth in the Moto X Best Trick category, to go with two gold medals in the Moto X Freestyle event, while he has also won gold twice in the Snowbike Best Trick at the Winter X Games, and takes his overall medal tally to 20 across all categories.
Adelberg shared the podium with fellow Australians, brothers Tom and Benny Richards, who secured silver and bronze, respectively.
