Watch: Nitro Games FMX Qualifying Highlights
LOS ANGELES, CA – Following the announcement of the Top 10 list of athletes invited directly to the Nitro World Games FMX Final Qualifiers, six more riders have now punched their tickets to the next round of the highly anticipated competition during a pre-qualifier event held in Southern California. Also just announced, one additional rider will now join the field as a wildcard.
Just as FMX has gone global, the Nitro World Games FMX lineup includes athletes from across the planet. Javier Villegas, born in Santiago, Chile and the first non-European rider to win the FIM FMX World Championship, topped the leader board during pre-qualifiers. Villegas has toured worldwide, including with Nitro Circus on its current North American trek, but is now looking to step up to the next level in major competition. Christian Meyer, who came in second, is an up-and-comer from Spain (first place in the 2015 X Pilots FMX Tour; 2014 Spanish FMX Championship winner). Meyer also trains at a second home in Argentina. Alastair Sayer – an X Games medalist who started riding in the Kalahari Desert in his native Botswana before his sixth birthday and has raced on the South African circuit - claimed third. Australia’s Jarryd McNeil, took fourth. McNeil, with three X Games gold medals to his credit (including two golds this year) now wants to show the world the full extent of his skills. Center of Gravity winner Kyle Demelo from Canada and Metal Mulisha member Cal Vallone from the U.S. round out the qualifiers. These six will join a hand picked Top 10 list of riders, chosen by an independent panel of industry leaders and former athletes, in the next phase of the competition.
Joining the pre-selected invitees and pre-qualifiers as a wildcard selection is veteran rider Steve Mini (Australia). These 17 athletes will clash at Rice-Eccles Stadium on July 15 - the day before the Nitro World Games. Only the eight highest scoring riders will advance to the inaugural Nitro World Games event on July 16. A full list of FMX riders is below. Stay tuned for the announcement of competitors for FMX Best Trick.
FMX FINAL QUALIFIERS
| Rob Adelberg (AUS) | Maikel Melero (ESP) | Libor Podmol (CZE) | Levi Sherwood (NZL) |
| Kyle Demelo (CAN) | Christian Meyer (ESP) | David Rinaldo (FRA) | Dany Torres (ESP) |
| Taka Higashino (JPN) | Steve Mini (AUS) | Alastair Sayer (RSA) | Cal Vallone (USA) |
| Adam Jones (USA) | Clinton Moore (AUS) | Josh Sheehan (AUS) | Javier Villegas (CHI) |
| Jarryd McNeil (AUS) |
Coming to Salt Lake City, Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday, July 16 and airing in primetime in the U.S. on NBC, the Nitro World Games will feature the best in extreme and action sports’ most exciting disciplines including FMX, BMX, skate, scooter and inline.
Nitro Circus, Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert and the Utah Sports Commission rocked the sports world in December 2015 when they unveiled the inaugural Nitro World Games. Created by Michael Porra and Travis Pastrana, the Nitro World Games will feature new formats and never before seen tricks. Each competition will be a final round with everything on the line, creating intensity on the track, energy in the stadium and must-see action for both digital and television viewers.
Nitro World Games is the next phase of Nitro Circus’ multi-year partnership with NBC Sports Ventures. NBC Sports will present three hours of coverage airing in primetime in the U.S. on NBC. For fans outside of the U.S. and Canada, more TV broadcast details will be announced soon (NBCUniversal International Distribution is handling the international linear and digital sales for Nitro World Games). In addition to NBC’s televised coverage, fans outside the U.S. can also watch the July 16 final on Nitro Circus’ worldwide webcast.
The Nitro World Games is also a marquee destination event. Fans who want to experience the excitement in person can purchase tickets to the July 16 final. The Nitro Club VIP package is the next best thing to an all access pass at $79 per person (plus applicable service fees). These exclusive passes include the best seats in the house as well as a pre-event track walk. Nitro Club pass holders will also receive a souvenir lanyard.
For new updates, athlete qualification announcements and more about the #NitroWorldGames go to nitroworldgames.com. Fans can also follow Nitro Circus on Twitter: @nitrocircus and Facebook: www.facebook.com/NitroCircus
