BLAKE WILLIAMS:

Australian freestyle motocross (FMX) sensation Blake ‘Bilko’ Williams has taken Gold and Silver in his biggest competition event of the year, X Games 15, which was held at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles this weekend.

The invite-only action sports event brings together the world’s best athletes to battle it out for Gold, Silver and Bronze in their respective discipline.

Williams collected silver in yesterday’s Moto X Best Trick, with a 360 Indian air and perfectly-executed cliffhanger flip to no-handed lander bringing the crowd and fellow riders to their feet.

With the judges proving hard to impress, Bilko dug deep into his repertoire of tricks today to take a deserved career-first gold in Moto X Freestyle by a single point after three runs.

The achievement also marks the first time an international rider has taken a Gold medal in the Freestyle category in the history of X Games.

The result is the ultimate reward for the 24-year-old from Baxter in country Victoria, who has now reached the action sport’s pinnacle.

“After being robbed of gold in the Best Trick event last night it really lit a fire under my belly to settle for nothing less than gold tonight,” said Williams, whose previous best X Games medal was a bronze.

“I am stoked, tonight was the one that counted and it was an amazing feeling to get the win in front of my Mum and Dad who flew over for the event.

“It has been a long couple of weeks and to be honest I actually didn’t have the preparation I would have liked.

“I want to dedicate the medal to the late Jeremy Lusk and Bronte Holland and also my mate Cam Sinclair who I should have been competing against tonight.”

The next event on Bilko’s schedule is the Wendy’s Invititional at Portland, the first of three FMX stops on the 2009 Dew Tour.