Benalla product and Moto X star Rob Adelberg has won two gold medals and set an X Games world record, becoming the first competitor to perform a double front flip on a motorbike.
The astonishing feat was accomplished several thousand kilometres from Adelberg’s home town, at X Games 2022 in Ramona, California.
Adelberg secured gold in both Freestyle and Best Trick events, taking his tally to 15 X Games medals, including seven golds.
His latest achievments bring him level with Jarryd McNeil for the most medals won by an Australian athlete.
Adelberg made it back-to-back Best Trick golds after winning the event last year, and also secured gold in Freestyle in 2019.
The Benalla export wasted no time on day two of the event, performing back-to-back front flips in his first run, which ultimately earned him a gold medal in the Freestyle category.
Adelberg said competing at the X Games was easily the highlight event on his competitive calendar.
“X Games is like the Olympics in our sport, we can’t compete in the Olympics because we ride a motorised vehicle,” Adelberg said.
“It’s the pinnacle of the sport — the goal was always to get an invite to an X Games, but once I started to get myself medals, now it’s about getting golds and I couldn’t have done any better.”
Adelberg’s performance was basically perfect, he said, achieving golds in both of his events.
But the Moto X star said in his mind, a decent outing performance-wise meant he had more to give down the track.
“My performance was okay — to do an okay performance and a perfect result was what I’m after,” he said.
“In X Games we compete against the best riders all around the world, they brought us to a private training facility in South California and the course was huge, bigger than the standard course we have.
“We had only limited practice, so to be able to adapt the quickest and put down winning runs is what it’s about.
“Everyone can ride well in their home compound, but to adapt and perform on an unfamiliar track is what it’s all about. You might have 10 of your best tricks organised at home but they might not work on the day.“
With his dad, Brett, assisting in training, Adelberg said he had gone from strength to strength in recent events after putting together a training facility on his Benalla property.
“Dad is my trainer, he helps me at the property and he has a look and we have a debrief after each session. But his only experience in motocross is through me,” he said.
“I’ve achieved 13 of my medals since 2018 and I’d been competing in X Games since 2010, but only got two silver medals between 2010 and 2018.
“This one was my best achievements for sure, my best achievement result-wise and to front flip over that distance was just huge.”
He becomes the first competitor to perform a double front flip at an X Games, and the first to complete it since Mike Metzger landed famous back-to-back backflips at the Philadelphia X Games in 2002.