Monster Energy congratulates its BMX and skateboard athletes on their strong performance on day one of the finals at X Games Chiba 2023.
CHIBA, Japan, May 13, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — The second edition of X Games in Japan is live! Monster Energy congratulates its BMX and skateboard athletes on their strong performance on day one at X Games Chiba 2023. In the second edition of the event at ZOZO Marine Stadium, 28-year-old Daniel Sandoval from Corona, California, took home the gold medal in BMX Street.
In the highly contested Women’s Skateboard Street competition, 15-year-old Rayssa Leal from Imperatriz, Brazil, claimed the win with a perfect run. In a major shakeup, the Women’s Skateboard Park contest saw 16-year-old Monster Army rider Ruby Lilley from Oceanside, California, take the silver medal.
Supported by Monster Energy as the official energy drink partner, X Games Chiba 2023 marks the 67th edition of X Games since the contest’s inception in 1995. For three action-packed days, the action sports world is focused on ZOZO Marine Stadium on Tokyo Bay, with a total capacity of 30,000 spectators from May 12–14.
More than 110 athletes from 20 countries are competing for a total of 33 medals in 11 events across three sports. This year, Moto X Best Trick will be contested as a medal event for the first time in Chiba.
On day one of the finals, all medal competitions had to be canceled due to heavy rain in Chiba. Consequently, event organizers decided to award medals in four competitions (BMX Street, Women’s Skateboard Street, as well as Men’s and Women’s Skateboard Park) based on Friday’s qualifier results. The seven remaining medal events will be contested on Sunday.
When all was said and done, here’s the medal count for Team Monster Energy as of Saturday:
BMX Street: Monster Energy’s Daniel Sandoval Claims the Gold Medal
The first medal event of X Games Chiba 2023 concluded with a major win for Monster Energy: 28-year-old Daniel Sandoval from Corona, California rose all the way to the top to claim the gold medal in BMX Street. It’s a remarkable accomplishment because Sandoval was dealing with an elbow injury sustained two weeks before the contest.
Battling against defending X Games Chiba gold medalist Logan Martin, Sandoval clinched the win on his second run with a perfect routine. Hitting the technical course with speed, Sandoval threw down the biggest trick of the contest on the first hit; a massive double flair aerial. He then combined 360 windshield wiper, no hander, 360 double downside tailwhip, massive 540 flair, handplant, can-can, no hander, and double tailwhip for 87.00 points and the gold medal.
“The last medal for me was back in 2017. I came here with the game plan of putting down something solid and pushing hard. Going into this X Games, I definitely had a better head on my shoulders,” said Sandoval upon winning BMX Street gold at X Games Chiba 2023. “Going into qualifying, we all knew that there was a potential rainfall the next day. So, they let us know that this could be the final result. That’s why you saw a lot of guys pushing really hard.”
Saturday’s gold medal brings Sandoval’s X Games count to five medals (two gold, three bronze). He will also compete in BMX Park Best Trick at X Games Chiba 2023. Most recently, Sandoval claimed second place in the 2023 Monster Energy BMX Triple Challenge finals in Nashville and finished in third place in overall season rankings.
Women’s Skateboard Street: Monster Energy’s Rayssa Leal Earns Dominant Win
In the Women’s Skateboard Street competition, the rider to beat was 15-year-old Rayssa Leal from Imperatriz, Brazil. The Brazilian skateboard phenom dropped in as the defending gold medalist from X Games Chiba 2022 and came to Japan on a winning streak of five consecutive victories in Street League Skateboarding (SLS) competitions.
On her first run in Friday’s qualifiers, Leal put her signature big tricks and technical skills on full display. Judges rewarded Leal for hitting the biggest obstacle on the course, a 14-stair handrail, with stylish moves.
Attacking the complex course in Chiba with confidence and speed, Leal’s first run combined backside lipslide the 14-stair rail, kickflip up the platform, kickflip backside lipslide the small rail, frontside feeble grind, frontside bluntslide the small rail, backside 50-50 the curved ledge, and backside Smith grind the big rail for 88.33 points and the win.
This recent gold medal at X Games Chiba 2023 marks the second X Games gold in Skateboard Street for Leal. The reigning 2022 SLS Super Crown World Champion, she has evolved into a dominant competitor: In 2019, she made history as the youngest rider to ever win an SLS tour stop at age 11 and took second place at the SLS World Championship in Brazil that year. Leal represented Brazil in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and claimed the silver medal in the Women’s Skateboard Street event.
Women’s Skateboard Park: Monster Energy’s Ruby Lilley Takes Surprise Silver
The Women’s Skateboard Park contest featured a heavy line-up of X Games gold medalists and decorated Olympic contestants. In this elite field, 16-year-old Monster Army rider Ruby Lilley from Oceanside, California, barged onto the podium with an outstanding performance.
On her first run of the final, Lilley impressed the judges with speed and effortless flow. She put together a backside grab over the box, backside air on the big quarterpipe, backside nosegrind through the deep end corner, backside disaster on the big wall, 5-0 grind to tailslide, lien disaster, crailslide, and 5-0 grind for 73.66 points and second place.
The silver medal marks Lilley’s first X Games medal in her third appearance. Currently supported by the Monster Army athlete development program, Lilley took second place in the 2022 USA Skateboarding National Championships in the Women’s Park discipline. The young upstart also won the 2022 Red Bull Cold Bowl Philly Women’s Invitational and Exposure Vert Open-Pro Finals. Watch out for this talented rider!
Stay tuned for more action from X Games Chiba 2023! The spectacle will continue on Sunday with competitions in Skateboard Vert, Skateboard Street, BMX Park, BMX Flatland, and Moto X Best Trick. Don’t miss it!
X Games fans in the United States can watch live competition coverage from the second edition of X Games Chiba on the official X Games YouTube channel.
Visit http://www.monsterenergy.com for exclusive updates from X Games Chiba 2023, 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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