Bob Burnquist injures back during Big Air practice, still in contention for X Games gold
Brazilian professional skateboarder Bob Burnquist went straight to the hospital from the X Games LA venue on Tuesday evening after injuring his back during a Big Air practice session on the MegaRamp structure.
The 35-year-old Rio-de-Janeiro-based rider was looked as solid as ever as he kicked-off Big Air practice for the latest edition of X Games. He was making good air and looking completely in control, though that did not last for long.
He flew high into the air while preparing for a trick and just when he was about to execute it, his board slipped out of his hands. As he fell on the ramp, he ended up hitting his back hard on the surface and immediately screamed in pain, giving a clear
indication that something had seriously gone wrong.
He was rushed to California Medical Center in an ambulance for an immediate check-up. Initial reports and X-ray results did not reveal any broken bones or spinal injuries, allowing the Brazilian skateboarder to breathe a sigh of relief. He was discharged
from the hospital within a few hours.
Despite clean X-ray results, Burnquist has withdrawn from the Skateboard Park and Vert event which are scheduled to go down on Saturday and Sunday respectively. He does, however, plan on competing in the Big Air event.
A regular in X games since its inauguration in 1995, Burnquist has been making a huge impact while competing on what can be considered as the biggest stage of action sports. The mega-event has the best athletes from around the globe coming in to have a go
at the coveted medals. To date, the Brazilian rider has 20 X Games medals to his name. His most recent medal came at the 2011 edition of X Games in Los Angeles, where he walked away with the gold in Big Air contest.
A number of fresh faces are slated to appear at 2012 X Games LA, presenting Burnquist with a whole new batch of challenge to deal with. However, the X Games veteran is considered to be a favourite for Big Air’s preliminary on Thursday as well as Friday’s
finals.
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