Los Angeles--Some of the top stars from the X Games and Winter X Games were recognized during the 14th annual ESPYs from Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre, televised Sunday night on ESPN. Hosted by seven-time Tour de France champion, Lance Armstrong, who took his fourth consecutive ESPY as Best Male Athlete was the first athlete to ever host the sports celebration. The phrase “action sports athletes was a resounding theme last night as there were 14 nominations for X Games athletes, three of which turned to wins. X Games Silver medalist and Olympic Gold medalist, Shaun White (Carlsbad, Calif.), walked away with two ESPY awards: Best Male Action Sports Athlete and Best Olympian. White was also nominated for Best Breakthrough Athlete. Three-time X Games medalist and Olympic Gold medalist, Hannah Teter (Belmont, Vt.), won an ESPY for Best Female Action Sports Athlete. Teter was also nominated for Best Female Athlete and Best Olympian.
“I’ve had such an incredible experience this year and to be recognized with two ESPYS is an amazing honor. So many great athletes have won ESPY awards and to be in their company is a real privilege, said professional skateboarder and snowboarder Shaun White.
Nominated for Best Record-Breaking Performance was freestyle motocross star Mike Metzger (Menifee, Calif.), who in May at the “Impossible Jump, backflipped 125 feet -- the first person to complete a backflip over the fountains at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The ESPY nominees for Best Action Sport Athlete were:
BEST MALE ACTION SPORT ATHLETE NOMINEES (winner in bold)
Jamie Bestwick, BMX rider
Jeremy Stenberg, Motocross Rider
Kelly Slater, Surfer
Ricky Carmichael, Motocross Rider
Shaun White, Snowboarder
BEST FEMALE ACTION SPORT ATHLETE NOMINEES (winner in bold)
Cara-Beth Burnside, Skateboarder
Dallas Friday, Wakeboarder
Gretchen Bleiler, Snowboarder
Hannah Teter, Snowboarder
Janna Meyen, Snowboarder
The ESPYS
The 2006 ESPY Awards celebrated the top moments, most emotional stories and best performances of the past year in sports. The awards included 20 “Best in Sport categories pitting athletes from different sports against each other, along with 17 individual sport categories and two sponsored awards. Recognizing individuals whose contributions transcend sports, the Arthur Ashe Courage Award was presented to a group of young, female athletes who play in organized soccer leagues in post-Taliban Afghanistan. The ESPYS are committed to the advancement of The V Foundation for Cancer Research, established by ESPN with the late Jim Valvano and announced at the inaugural ESPYS in 1993.
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