X-Game medalist Jayden “Jayo” Archer, 27, has died while practicing a triple backflip in his hometown of Melbourne, Australia according to ESPN.com.
Archer was the first rider to perform the trick in competition.
Archer was part of the Nitro Circus community, the sports media brand created by Nitro Rallycross and American Rally Association star Travis Pastrana.
“This really hit home,” Pastrana told ESPN. “Jayo grew up in a time when action sports was at its biggest, and he always wanted to do the big stuff like the double and the triple, even though there weren’t a lot of places to showcase those bigger tricks.
“He’d get up every morning at 4 a.m. and go to the gym before work so he could ride his dirt bike. When he came to Maryland to train, he stayed at my house and was an incredible role model to my kids.”
Archer was first, and one of only three, riders to land the trick in competition - a feat he accomplished in the 2022 Nitro World Games in Brisbane, Australia.
At the time, Archer expressed his delight in the accomplishment calling it a life-long achievement.
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“No one had a bigger heart or more determination than Jayo,” said Ricky Melnik, senior vice president and GM of Nitro Circus. “We called him the Incredible Hulk. He was a beast on the bike and a gentle giant off it.
“Watching him go through the process of learning and landing the triple flip in competition was so inspiring. He wanted to take FMX to the next level and go further than anyone had gone before.”
We are deeply saddened by Jayo Archer’s passing and our thoughts and prayers go out to his parents and fiancee.
— X Games (@XGames) February 22, 2024
One of the most committed and charismatic FMX riders, Jayo will be missed by the X Games family. pic.twitter.com/TgnENOlxcc
