X Games Austin results, Day 1: Jarryd McNeil, Libor Podmol get split gold in step up final

The first day of this year’s summer X Games in Austin is officially in the books. The tournament, which has been in Austin for the past two years, featured two big events on its opening day, including the Moto X Step Up Final and the Harley-Davidson Flat-Track Racing. The former of the two was the more anticipated event, but both promised plenty of excitement.

Ronnie Renner won the Step Up event last year with a maximum jump of 34 feet and was favored to win it again this year, having captured Step Up gold nine times in his career, including twice already in 2016. But he fell short in this one, being eliminated before the final heats and ultimately tying Bryce Hudson for fourth place at 30 feet.

That left Jarryd McNeil, Libor Podmol and Massimo Bianconcini as the final three. Bianconcini set an impressive height of 32 feet to put himself above Renner and Hudson.

But despite Bianconcini’s impressive showing, he was barely beaten by both McNeil and Podmol, who hit 33 feet in their heat and wound up taking home the split gold medals in the event.

In the Flat-Track event, many were looking to Bryan Smith, who won the inaugural event last June to take home the gold. But Smith didn’t win, ultimately finishing in 11th place with a DNF. He was among four racers who did not finish, with the other eight making it to the end.

Brad Baker finished in 6:40.896 to take the bronze medal, Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. finished in 6:36.276 for the silver, and Jared Mees earned the gold by finishing in 6:35.907, barely edging out Coolbeth for the victory.