X Games 2014: Garrett Reynolds says heat affected BMX runs

The first finals on Friday of the 2014 X Games in Austin, Texas. It was a hot and humid event that saw the first round and finals go back to back as 12 riders competed for one of three spots on the podium.

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The heat was certainly noticeable and the riders acknowledged that it was a factor, and the first run kicked off at noon on Friday.

“It’s so hot, and the street riding is using so much of your actual muscles,” gold medalist Garrett Reynolds said in a press conference after the event. “By the time you got to like five tricks your muscles start to lose it and it gets so much harder from there on out.

“It is always such battle towards the end, especially having to ride three times.”

The six finalists had to ride three times in the final and it was Reynolds third and final run that gave him the gold medal.

“Honestly, I rode every run all the way through,” Reynolds said. “By the time I got up there I was so tired, I was completely doubting myself.

“I just went out there to see what I could do. It got to a point where I had done the tricks that I was actually sweating doing because I was so tired. I was just like, trying to keep pedaling and I didn’t know how I was still riding.”

It paid off for Reynolds who put up a 90.66 and won the gold medal in the event.