Jerez became the Freestyle world capital over the weekend, hosting the lastest round of the NIGHT of the JUMPS FIM Freestyle MX World Championship.
It is the first time a World Championship has been hosted inside a bull-fighting ring, the Plaza de Toros, and with 20,000 cheering fans, they were treated to an exciting 8th round of competition on Saturday.
Ten of the best NOTJ athletes came together to compete in the first outdoor contest of the season, including the local Spanish heros, Dany Torres, Jose Miralles and Marc Pinyol. However, the reigning World Champion, Maikel Melero was unable to start after suffering a hard fall in training, requiring treatment in hospital.
Qualifying opened with one of the most anticipated new-comers to NIGHT of the JUMPs in a long time, the young Spaniard, Marc Pinyol. He had proven in qualifying he had some of the biggest tricks in FMX, including his own Body Varial, the Inside Roll, however his run unravelled as quick as it started, crashing heavily on a California Roll body varial on his first jump, and would join his Spanish compatriot, Melero, on the sidelines with injury.
It was then left to Dany Torres and Jose Miralles to uphold the Spanish flag. Torres scored a qualification win at his NIGHT of the JUMPs comeback, but for ‰ÛÏEl Loco‰Û