The X Games arrive to Foz do Iguaçu (II)

Names such as Nate Adams, Taka Higashino, Maria Forsberg or Taddy Blazusiak are sinonims of medal in this edition of the X Games in Foz do Iguaçu

There is only three days to go and everything is ready for the start of a new edition of the biggest spectacle in action sports, the X Games. Foz do Iguaçu, in Brazil, will host the first event of the Summer X Games in 2013, after Tignes closed the winter competition. There are many names that will be present from the next April 18 in the Brazilian town of Foz and, if the last day we wrote about the RallyCross, today we will stop at the main contenders for a medal in Moto X in its different modalities.

X Games Foz do Iguaçu will start with the male and female Enduro X finals on Thursday April 18. In the men's final, the aspiring medal riders are the same as those who competed and got on the podium in Los Angeles. Mike Brown, gold in that event, and a veteran in the motor world who stands out because of his high pressure situations control, will face other world class athletes like Cody Webb, a young American who is really strong and was already silver last year, or Cory Graffunder, bronze in 2012 and one of the best Canadian in Enduro. Finally, they should not forget Taddy Blazusiak, who despite being fourth in Los Angeles, is one of the masters of Enduro and one of the athletes with the highest number of victories in events in this discipline and he will be in the X Games Barcelona. In this one will also be our rider, Alfredo Gomez.

Regarding women's final, last edition in Los Angeles in 2012 winner and current champion, Maria Forsberg, is again the main contender and favorite to hang a medal. Despite this, she must do her best to overcome some very competitive rivals, who were also on the podium last year, Louise Forsley and Bykerk Chantelle. The first is one of the most talented female riders and was silver last year. The same goes for the young Bykerk who despite starting competing in 2005 is already the best female rider in Canada and with the bronze achieved in 2012 is, with no doubt, one of the major contenders to win a metal. We should not forget Laia Sanz who will debut in Brazil in the X Games.

On Friday 19 Freestyle, Best Whip and Step Up tests will be performed. For the first, like in the Enduro, the favorites are also the same who were on the podium last year in LA. Taka Higashino, the only Japanese competitor in the X Games and who came to the U.S. to focus fully on the Freestyle, impressed with his performance in 2011 and was fourth, prelude of the gold he would get a year later. Facing him will be Levi Sherwood and Javier Villegas. The first, a very young from New Zealand, took silver in his debut at X Games in 2010 and repeated medal last year. Despite his young age (21 years) he is considered one of the greatest talents of Freestyle. The rider from Chile is the third in the group. Villegas has improved greatly in recent years, and the proof is the bronze in Los Angeles last year. Nate Adams should also be taken into consideration, who returned in 2012 after suffering an injury in his left arm and shoulder to clinch fourth place. The American is an expert and champion in this modality of Freestyle: 12 X Games medals (including 7 in Freestyle) answer for him.

Best Whip is possibly the test where the medal will be more difficult to get. The five invited riders to the event in Brazil are five true champions. The three who jumped on the podium in 2012 -Jeremy Stenberg, gold; Jarryd McNeil, silver; and Todd Potter, bronze- as well as the aforementioned Nate Adams and the Spanish rider Edgar Torronteras will fight wihout a break to get the medals that are in game.

Regarding Step Up, it should be noted that from the athletes who were on the podium in the last X Games, only Ronnie Renner, who took gold, will participate in Foz do Iguaçu. This does not mean it will be easy for the American, one of the Freestyle personalities who possesses a long trajectory in X Games. He will have to face Josh Hansen, three-time medalist at the X Games, and Massimo Bianconcini, fifth in last year's tests but who is going strong lately.

On Saturday April 20 the Moto X discipline will close with the Speed & Style test final. It’s important to remember that it has been incorporated in Foz do Iguaçu to the detriment of the Best Trick, and so will be for the event in Barcelona, in May. Nate Adams himself, silver in this event in the last X Games, will face other great athletes like Jarryd McNeil or Edgar Torronteras, who comes to this event with great enthusiasm and ready for glory in the biggest competition of action sports.