Hibbert Determined to Capture Gold Medal Five-Peat at ESPN Winter X Games
Tucker Hibbert will take on 23 riders Sunday afternoon in his quest to win his fifth consecutive ESPN Winter X Games snocross gold medal. The Monster Energy/Arctic Cat rider has won his past four gold medals unchallenged and will enter Winter X Games 15 in Aspen, Colo. as the heavy favorite.
Hibbert has been unstoppable on the national snocross tour, winning the first three rounds of the series. To add to his confidence, he’s spent the past two weeks testing and training at a private track in Colorado located at the same altitude as Aspen. Since higher elevation robs a snowmobile engine of power, testing is critical to achieve the right set up to be competitive.
Hibbert made his first Winter X Games appearance as a 15-year-old semi-pro. The then high school sophomore competed against the world’s top riders, including his father, to become the youngest Winter X Games gold medalist in history. Now with nine medals and 61 national snocross victories, he’ll make his 12th consecutive appearance at the event.
Watch Hibbert’s five-peat quest live on ESPN. Snocross coverage begins Sunday at 1:30 p.m. ET and wraps up at 4:00 p.m. ET.
Tucker Hibbert – 12th Appearance at ESPN Winter X Games
2010: Gold • 2009: Gold • 2008: Gold • 2007: Gold • 2006: DNQ • 2005: Silver
2004: Silver • 2003: Bronze • 2002: Silver • 2001: Mechanical Failure
2000: Gold, youngest gold medalist in Winter X Games history (15)
Tucker Hibbert - #68 Monster Energy/Arctic Cat
“This is a big year for me at Winter X. I’m excited and ready for the challenge. We(the team) have already had a lot of success this winter on the national tour but the track at Winter X is a lot different then what we race on at national events. A unique track plus higher altitude makes the sled perform way different. We’ve been in Colorado for two weeks testing and tuning my Monster Energy/Arctic Cat and it’s working awesome. I can’t wait to get it on the track in Aspen!”
Media Opportunity: ESPN Winter X Games 15 Press Event
When: Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2010, 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. MT
Where: Press Tent at Buttermilk Mountain
Members of the media are asked to RSVP with Grace Coryell by 2 p.m. Tuesday.
(310-956-5098 or Grace.s.Coryell@espn.com)
Noteworthy
• Hibbert appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America Monday, Jan. 10 and is featured in the Jan. 10 issue of ESPN the Magazine.
• Current Monster Energy/Arctic Cat mechanic, Jeff Tweet, who was paralyzed racing snocross in 2001, will compete in the Adaptive Snocross event. Last year, he finished fourth in the inaugural event. Tweet (number #177) will be branded head-to-toe like Hibbert and will ride one of Hibbert’s race sleds. The Adaptive Snocross final will be live on ESPN Sunday at 2:45 p.m. ET.
