Norway Takes The Top Spot
Gjefsen Races Her Way to Gold in Women’s Skier X
Norway’s Marte Gjefsen came to Buttermilk Mountain for Winter X Games Aspen 2012 with casts on both hands, but she didn’t let that deter her, as she raced down the mountain, avoided accidents and took gold in Women’s Skier X.
“With my hands, I had trouble with the start,” an elated Gjefsen said. “I had to trust my gliding skills and pass the other girls further down the coarse and that’s what happened in the final. I knew I had to stay focused down the coarse, after I hit the last jump I realized I was going to win this. I’m just so happy.”
Her fellow countrywoman, Hedda Berntsen followed her across the finish line for silver. Berntsen also took the silver in the event in 2008.
Australia’s Jenny Owens crossed the finish line in third place, taking home the bronze – her first Winter X Games medal.
The X Course is approximately 4,060-feet long with an elevation of 8,700 feet and vertical drop of 690 feet. The X Course includes banked turns, gap jumps, berms, flat and steep sections and ends with a 65-foot jump. Athletes start simultaneously from a starting gate positioned on an incline and race side-by-side to the finish line.
For Winter X Games media information, including press releases, logos and additional images from past events, log on to www.espneventmedia.com. To view medalist runs, visit the Winter X Games You Tube Channel – https://www.youtube.com/xgames and follow the X Games on Twitter at Twitter.com/xgames
Additional photos are available from ESPN Images bit.ly/WX16Pix – password: wxg16
WINTER X GAMES ASPEN 2012
Winter X Games Aspen 2012 returns to Aspen/Snowmass, Colo., January 26-29, 2012, with live coverage on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC. This year marks the 11th consecutive year the event is being held in Aspen and features more than 200 of the world’s best athletes in the sports of Skiing, Snowboarding and Snowmobile. In addition to 16 hours of live programing on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC, more than nine hours of Winter X Games Aspen content will be offered on ESPN3 and 25 hours on ESPN 3D.
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Contacts: Danny Chi, ESPN, 310-642-1509, danny.c.chi@espn.com
Katie Moses-Swope, ESPN, 303-290-7888, katie.moses-swope@espn.com
Alex Rozis, ESPN, 310-642-1533, alex.a.rozis@espn.com
Grace Coryell, ESPN, 310-642-1519, grace.s.coryell@espn.com