Rodil de Araujo Jr. sweeps Street competitions

Philadelphia, Penn. – Solid runs on the three obstacles set up for Skateboard Street Best Trick put Rodil de Araujo Jr. in range of winning a second gold medal in the first day of ESPN's X Games VIII. Wagner Ramos captured a second silver medal and Dayne Brummet left with the bronze. All three pulled gnarly tricks before a packed crowd of 8,600 at City Hall.

De Araujo pulled a Frontside 180 over the rail to a Crooked Grind on the first obstacle to mass applause. By the third obstacle, he needed to stick his run to nail the gold and did so with a big Ollies to Drops. De Araujo, of Curbita, Brazil, now has a total of five X Games gold medals to his credit. He has earned three of five in Philadelphia, which might be a lucky charm for him.

"I like Philadelphia. We are here for 10 days and I'm going to skate around and really check things out," said de Araujo.

In a tight second place was Ramos, who earned first place on the second obstacle and third place on the first and third obstacles, putting him just one place back for the gold medal. Having never earned medals at the X Games, Ramos was thrilled with his second silver of the afternoon.

Brummet, of San Diego, Calif., performed several technical maneuvers to earn him the bronze medal. This is the first medal Brummet has earned at the X Games.

Local skaters Rick Oyola, Kerry Getz and Josh Kalis were fan favorites, signing autographs and receiving thunderous applause. Although the three did not walk away with medals, they did give the audience a treat and the Philadelphians a few hometown heroes.

"Everyone (people in Philadelphia) really likes to come to this contest," said Oyola. "I'll see people weeks later and they'll come up and say, 'Didn't I see you in the X Games?' I'm from Philadelphia and this is why I do it."

The X Games showcases 300 of the world's best action sports athletes competing in a variety of sports events for medals and more than $1 million in total prize money. In its first year as X Games host, Philadelphia drew 235,000 spectators during X Games VII, August 17-22, 2001.

ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC Sports will combine to televise more than 20 original hours of X Games VIII coverage starting August 17, while ESPN International will distribute the Games worldwide. In addition, EXPN.com, the year-round home for action sports and culture, will offer extensive event coverage, including streaming video from the X Games.