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X-Games, 1997 Downhill Inline Race

Derek Downing celebrates
after winning the mens
downhill inline skating event
at the 1997 X-Games.
c. AP

Here are the 1997 X-Games final results from the men's and women's in-line downhill race down Rancho Del Oro Drive:



Men                                 Winning time
1. Derek Downing ($5,000)           52.310
2. Keith Turner ($3,500)               
3. B.J. Steketee ($2,500)          
4. Scott Hiatt
5. Chad Smith 
6. Patrick Naylor
7. Kelly Springer 
8. Chris Luxton

Here are the results from the women's in-line downhill final:

Women                               Winning time
1. Gypsy Tidwell ($5,000)           50.550
2. Julie Brandt ($3,500)              
3. Jessica Apgar ($2,500)
4. Jennifer Jones
5. Aimee Sanderson
6. Donna Helgenberg
7. Peggy Tillinghast
8. Cheryl Ezzell


At speeds approaching 55 mph, 32 men and 16 women battled it out in groups of four to determine just who is the fastest skater on 10 wheels. On the women's side, Gypsy Tidwell, last year's X Games champion, took the gold medal in a photo-finish, with Julie Brandt less than a skate behind.

"What an exciting race," Tidwell said. "I thought she had me at the end, but that final stretch proved to be the difference."

Tidwell used what in in-line terms is called the eagle stretch at the finish, lunging forward with one skate while the other trails behind. It proved to be the difference, as both competitors waited nervously for the judges' ruling.

"I didn't think I won. I congratulated her at the end because I thought she had it," Tidwell admitted.

The chief steward didn't see it that way, and Tidwell defended her X Games in-line downhill title. The native of Waco, Tex., collected $5,000 for her victory and plenty of praise from all her competitors.

The 22-year-old Tidwell works in a skating rink back home in Texas and is a speed skating coach as well. She almost came to the X Games without a sponsor, but managed to pick one up days before coming to Oceanside.

"Having a sponsor helps pay some of the bills, that's for sure," she said. "It gave me even more incentive to perform well here. Hopefully they'll keep me."

As for the men, the top seed heading into Saturday's finals burned up the blacktop all afternoon. Derek Downing, considered one of the premier in-line skaters in the world, was ahead of the field in every one of his preliminary heats and looked dominant all afternoon. He flew down the course in 52.310 seconds for his second X Games gold medal in three years.

"I felt great all day. I was skating really well all day and felt like I had a great chance to win today," Downing said, in-between screams of ecstasy. "I'm so happy. I was bummed that I couldn't compete last year, but this more than makes up for it."

A broken collarbone kept him out of last year's X Games in Providence, R.I., after winning the gold medal at the inaugural event in 1995. The full-time professional in-line skater collected $5,000 for his victory, which he admits will do more than pay the rent.

"I wore out so many wheels this week," he said. "Those things aren't cheap either. Now I can load put on some nice wheels." In-line wheels can run $100 for a set of five.



There was also an uphill race at the 1997 X-Games which ESPN chose not to televise. Below are some scenes after the uphill race courtesy Richard Nett. Top left: keith Turner and Derek Downing, Top right: Chery Ezzell. Bottom Left: Julie Brandt, bottom left: Jonathon Webster. The uphill race winners are listed below the pictures.
Men's Winners:
  1. Derek Downing
  2. Jonathan Webster
  3. Tony Muse
  4. Eddy Matzger
  5. Pascal Briand
Women's Winners:
  1. Cheryl Ezzell
  2. Julie Brandt
  3. Debbie Rice
  4. Marcia Yager
  5. Mandy Osbourne
Here is a complete list of the 1997 X-Games men's in-line downhill qualifying results from Oceanside: 

Competitor                     Time
 1.  Derek Downing             46.815
 2.  Keith Turner              46.852
 3.  Tony Muse                 47.306
 4.  Pascal Briand             47.535
 5.  Chad Smith                47.760
 6.  Scott Hiatt               47.789
 7.  Jonathan Webster          47.902
 8.  B.J. Steketee             48.604
 9.  Gary Gandee               48.765
10.  Chris Luxton              48.768
11.  Dane Lewis                48.778
12.  Dan Burger                48.946
13.  Patrick Naylor            49.007
14.  Sean Hook                 49.273
15.  Nate DiPalma              49.305
16.  Dana Eads                 49.691
17.  Stan Bunn                 49.783
18.  Peter Currel              49.804
19.  Kelly Springer            49.862
20.  Troy Attwell              49.864
21.  Eddy Matzger              50.018
22.  Micah Martin              50.491
23.  Nicolas Gachoud           50.500
24.  Sebastian Baumgartner     51.027
25.  Jason McDaniel            51.140
26.  Eric Mattson              51.158
27.  Chris Keiser              51.498
28.  Scott Peer                51.621
29.  Anthony Waner             51.638 
30.  Isaac Oltmans             51.846
31.  Derik Beier               52.332 
32.  Nathan Lakonishok         52.367

Here are the women's results from their first qualifying run:

1.  Julie Brandt               49.786
2.  Gypsy Tidwell              50.230
3.  Cheryl Ezzell              51.543
4.  Stephanie Browe            51.837
5.  Michelle Bizeau            52.127
6.  Jennifer Jones             52.387
7.  Sarina Hayden              52.575
8.  Jessica Apgar              52.871
9.  Mandy Osbourn              52.875
10.  Jennifer Conn             53.026
11.  Aimee Sanderson           53.218
12.  Debbie Rice               53.584
13.  Donna Helgonberg          54.027
14.  Marcia Yager              54.917
15.  Jaime Kennedy             55.118
16.  Peggy Tillinghast         56.441


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