Defending Champ Nate Holland Sweeps Gold in Snowboarder X
Jan 28 2007 / Aspen, CO Two-Time Gold Medalist Leads the Pack in Snowboarder X at Winter X Games 11Aspen, Colo. – Defending champion, Nate Holland, sneaks ahead of Seth Wescott and Xavier de le Rue to grab his second consecutive Winter X Games gold. A favorite going into the 2006 Winter Olympics where he ended up with a disappointing 14th place finish, the 28-year old Squaw Valley, Calif. resident redeemed himself with a strong finish riding past all of his on-course competitors.
|
||||||||||
“I came up with speed to try to pass, then dropped back to try to break mine,” Holland explains. “I railed the turn, came slingshotting out front, and was able to make the tranny.”
When asked how he felt going into the final heat, Holland said assuredly, “Winning the semifinals was a huge confidence builder going in because I knew I had the De La Rue brothers, and they’re always so strong.”
The 2005 Snowboarder X gold medalist, Xavier de le Rue, finished in second position in the final run behind Holland. One of two brothers from Saint Lary, France, de la Rue added a silver medal to his collection for a total of seven medals in four Winter X Games appearances.
At his tenth Winter X Games appearance, Olympic Gold Medalist, Seth Wescott from Sugarloaf, Maine swept the last seat on the podium for a bronze medal.
“On this one, I didn’t have a great start,” explained Wescott. “Starting at the outside gate made it really difficult, so I was definitely working form the disadvantage of not getting an inside lane.”
With a tough start, the 30-year old Wescott still maintained speed to give both de le Rue and Holland a run for their money.
SNOWBOARDING SNOWBOARDER X MEN’S
Final Results from Aspen/Snowmass on Saturday, January 27, 2007
- Nate Holland
- Xavier de le Rue
- Seth Wescott
- Shaun Palmer
- Marco Huser
- Paul Henri de le Rue
- Drew Neilson
- Nick Baumgartner
- Alberto Schiavon
- Ross Trulove
- Pat Holland
- Ben Jacobellis
- Mario Fuchs
- Jason Smith
- Markus Schairer
- Vincent Valery
- Mark Schulz
- Tom Velisek
- Cleve Johnson
- Rob Fagan
- Alex Deibold
- Ross Powers
- Ludovic Guillot-Diat
- Jayson Hale
- Graham Watanabe
- Francois Boivin
- Ralph Backstrom
- Pierre Vaultier
- Nate Galpin
- Michal Novotny
