Friday, January 24, 2014

Colten Moore dedicates X Games gold medal to brother Caleb (VIDEO)

Snowmobile Freestyle competitor Colten Moore won his second X Games gold medal Thursday, opening X Games Aspen 2014 with an emotional win that he dedicated to his older brother, Caleb, who died from injuries in the same extreme sports event in last year's competition. It had been 364 days since a crash in the X Games caused injuries that ultimately led to Caleb's death at 25. It is the only death in the 20-year history of the X Games.

On Thursday, the 24-year-old Moore led after the first of two runs, riding in front of the Colorado crowd that included more than 60 of his friends and family from his hometown of Krum, Texas.


And, even though Colten Moore's biggest trick — a ruler backflip — came after his run time expired, his first-run score of 91.33 was enough to bump him to the top of the field. That score held up through the second round of competition



"This is the greatest moment ever, to be able to come back and ride for my brother," Moore said. "And not just for him, but with him, because I know he was out here with me all night. To be able to come out here and get gold is unbelievable. I just give it all to him. I know he was the one helping me do everything I was doing. ... It's what me and Caleb grew up doing, pushing each other to go for it. I just knew that he'd be riding with me."

On Jan. 24, 2013, Caleb Moore under-rotated on a trick and was thrown from his snowmobile, and the 450-pound machine landed atop his chest. Although he initially walked off, he suffered a contusion on his heart and brain complications. He died on Jan. 31.

Moore's father, Wade Moore, was watching just off the course, wearing a No. 31 hat in honor of Caleb Moore's bib number.

"It means everything," Wade Moore said, watching as his son took a victory lap. "He just wanted to ride, that's what he likes doing, he has fun doing it. That's all he and his brother did, and they're still doing it together, I promise they are."



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