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X Games Aspen 2020 Day 3 Recap – January 25, 2020

X Games Aspen 2020 continued Saturday (January 25) at Buttermilk, where medals were awarded in three Slopestyle disciplines, three Snow BikeCross disciplines, Women’s Ski SuperPipe, The Real Cost Men’s Snowboard Big Air and Women’s Snowboard SuperPipe.

Aspen, CO – January 25, 2020 – Buttermilk Mountain: Jamie Anderson competing in Jeep Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle during X Games Aspen 2020
(Photo by Gabriel Christus / ESPN Images)

Remaining podium perfect in her 15th Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle competition, perennial favorite Jamie Anderson returned to the top of the podium to take home her sixth Slopestyle gold medal, making her the athlete with the most Slopestyle gold medals and the most-medaled female athlete in X Games history.

“It feels really good,” Anderson says of her gold medal win. “I was pretty scared coming back this year so I tried to take a bit of a different approach and now I can just sit back and relax. I really wanted to do more than what I did, but I am thankful what I did do was able to keep me on top.”

“I feel like my approach as I’ve gotten a little bit older and learned more about mindfulness and trying to be the best version of myself is kind of living life with a moving meditation and even when I’m feeling nervous about preparing for X, trying to stay in the moment and be present, not get too far ahead of myself.”

Anderson’s second run included highlights of a backside rodeo 720 on the shark fin and her third run included a cab double underflip and switch tailslide 270 out.

Laurie Blouin earned silver and Kokomo Murase earned bronze, her second X Games Aspen 2020 medal.

Aspen, CO – January 25, 2020 – Buttermilk Mountain: Doug Henry competing in Para Snow BikeCross during X Games Aspen 2020
(Photo by Phil Ellsworth / ESPN Images)

Motorcycle Hall of Fame member and defending Para Snow BikeCross gold medalist Doug Henry added gold to this collection of X Games medals with his eighth medal across three X Games sports. Henry, who won his first gold in Moto X SuperMoto at X Games Los Angeles in 2005, beat out silver medalist Brandon Dudley by more than 15 seconds and bronze medalist Leighton Lillie by more than 30.

Aspen, CO – January 25, 2020 – Buttermilk Mountain: Colby Stevenson competing in Jeep Men’s Ski Slopestyle during X Games Aspen 2020
(Photo by Phil Ellsworth / ESPN Images)

After winning the inaugural Ski Knuckle Huck on Thursday, rookie Colby Stevenson again made history in the Jeep Men’s Ski Slopestyle competition.

The 22-year-old earned the first Ski Slopestyle gold medal won by a rookie. Stevenson qualified first in the Elimination and took that momentum into the final with runs that included several 630 variations, a double cork 1440 Cuban and switch left double cork 1440 safety.

“I’m feeling ecstatic right now, a little bit overwhelmed but really excited,” Stevenson told media after the results were posted. “Can’t believe this moment. I’ve been dreaming of this since I was eight years old, watching all my idols shredding the X Games.”

Adding, “Back in 2016 I got in a really bad car accident…totally changed my life. After that, eight months later I was able to figure out the mindset for comp skiing, just to do it for love. I’ve just been taking every day as a blessing and taking that momentum from the car crash. I just use that today to just try to stay in the moment, be thankful.”

Evan McEachran took silver and Fabian Bosch bronze.

Aspen, CO – January 25, 2020 – Buttermilk Mountain: Mike Schultz competing in Para Snow BikeCross during X Games Aspen 2020
(Photo by Eric Lars Bakke / ESPN Images)

After winning Adaptive Snow BikeCross at X Games Aspen by more than 22 seconds despite a transmission stuck in second gear, Mike Schultz defended his title this year by an even bigger margin of 33 seconds.

Schultz owns gold medals in three different disciplines and sports, and also took home gold in Special Olympics Unified Snowboarding this weekend with Daina Shilts as his partner.

Kevin Royston, defending bronze medalist, bumped up to silver this year and Kolleen Conger made it onto the podium for the first time this year with bronze.

“To be racing at this venue, like I never thought it would happen,” Royston said. “To get the opportunity to do it with adaptive sports is just awesome.”

Aspen, CO – January 25, 2020 – Buttermilk Mountain: Darcy Sharpe competing in Jeep Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle during X Games Aspen 2020
(Photo by Phil Ellsworth / ESPN Images)

A Canadian rider once again topped the Jeep Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle podium, this time seeing Darcy Sharpe take his first X Games medal since 2018 and first ever gold medal. His runs included heavy tricks through the rail section, a frontside triple cork 1440 Indy and a backside triple cork 1440.

“I think that’s really good about the format, it’s gonna make snowboarding more well-rounded,” Sharpe said after winning his gold medal. “Four jumps makes snowboarders more well-rounded. Every jump counting makes snowboarder do different stuff.”

Sharpe made the jump from seventh place to the top spot in his fourth run of the competition. Sharpe was able to hold off the defending silver medalist Mons Roisland, who again earned silver, and Red Gerard who took bronze, his first X Games Aspen medal.

“Feels insane, it’s the most heavy final I’ve ever been in, just riding so many runs and such a challenging course,” Roisland said. “I’m just unbelievably happy to put it down and walk away with a medal.”

Gerard added, “Just beyond excited to make it on the podium, it’s been a dream since I was a kid to make it on the podium on X Games.It’s just awesome being able to have speed for the jumps, and it was awesome being able to ride the course to its full potential.”

Aspen, CO – January 25, 2020 – Buttermilk Mountain: Cody Matechuk competing in Wendyâs Snow BikeCross during X Games Aspen 2020
(Photo by Dave Camara / ESPN Images)

Cody Matechuk added a third consecutive Snow BikeCross gold medal to his collection, joining only three other athletes in the history of X Games motorized winter disciplines who have three-peated (Tucker Hibbert, Blair Morgan and Mike Schultz). Fellow Canadian Yanick Boucher took his first X Games medal with silver (15 seconds behind Matechuk) and defending silver medalist Jesse Kirchmeyer took bronze (18 seconds behind Matechuk).

Aspen, CO – January 26, 2020 – Buttermilk Mountain: Kelly Sildaru competing in Jeep Women’s Ski Slopestyle during X Games Aspen 2020
(Photo by Eric Lars Bakke / ESPN Images)

Now eight-time X Games medalist, Kelly Sildaru, took gold in Women’s Ski SuperPipe, moving her one medal closer to tying Shaun White and Nyjah Huston for most medals in by a teenager in X Games history.

The Estonian phenom competes once more in Women’s Ski Slopestyle on Sunday afternoon, where she is a heavy favorite.

Sildaru’s final run was her best, when she landed three 900s: left 900 tail, right 900 mute and a switch left 900 safety.

Last year’s bronze medalist Rachael Karker took silver and defending gold medalist Cassie Sharpe took bronze.

Aspen, CO – January 25, 2020 – Buttermilk Mountain: Mark McMorris, Max Parrot and Sven Thorgren at the medal ceremony for The Real Cost Men’s Snowboard Big Air during X Games Aspen 2020
(Photo by Gabriel Christus / ESPN Images)

After missing the final in Slopestyle, Max Parrot added a sixth gold and ninth medal overall in The Real Cost Men’s Snowboard Big Air.

Parrot missed Aspen 2019 (and the entire contest season) after he was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma in 2018, and, after an aggressive treatment plan including 12 chemo sessions in approximately six months, he returned to take gold at X Games Norway 2019 and again tonight.

Parrot blew minds, throwing down 1620s in three different directions (cab, backside and frontside), and a cab 1800 in run four that helped him hold on to the lead in an extremely close contest.

In silver was Mark McMorris, which tied him with Shaun White for the most winter discipline medals (18). Swedish rider Sven Thorgren joined the two Canadians on the podium with bronze.

“I am so thankful,” McMorris said of his second place finish. “That was a performance I feel really proud of.”

Aspen, CO – January 25, 2020 – Buttermilk Mountain: Queralt Castellet competing in Women’s Snowboard SuperPipe during X Games Aspen 2020
(Photo by Phil Ellsworth / ESPN Images)

At 30 years old, Queralt Castellet closed out the night by winning her first-ever X Games gold medal in Women’s Snowboard SuperPipe.

Castellet settled for silver behind Chloe Kim in 2019, but bettered her performance with tricks including back-to-back 900s and a cab 720 at the bottom. X Games rookies Kurumi Imai won the silver medal and Haruna Masumoto won bronze.

“I can’t believe it, I’m like out of words. This is so incredible!” Castellet said. “I’m having the most amazing season of my life!”

X Games Aspen closes out tomorrow with Women’s Ski Slopestyle, Jeep Snowboard Rail Jam, Wendy’s Snowboard Knuckle Huck, Great Clips Men’s Ski SuperPipe and Snow Bike Best Trick. The final artist of the weekend, R&B/pop superstar Bazzi, will close out the weekend on the the GEICO stage.

Want more X Games coverage? Make sure to follow us on Instagram at @celebsecrets and click here for the latest interviews and updates from medalists in some of the biggest competitions this year.

Author

  • Juliet Schroder

    Juliet is the founder and executive producer/host of Celeb Secrets and Celeb Secrets Country. When not reporting on the latest news in pop culture and country music, she enjoys traveling, spending time with friends and family, watching sports and exploring the latest fashion trends. Juliet holds a B.S. in marketing from St. John's University.

Juliet is the founder and executive producer/host of Celeb Secrets and Celeb Secrets Country. When not reporting on the latest news in pop culture and country music, she enjoys traveling, spending time with friends and family, watching sports and…

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