X Games 16 - Gaby Ponce Pounces and Punches Her Way to Gold

The Women's Skateboard Vert Final at X Games 16 featured the top eight athletes who pushed each other to try new tricks as well as the McTwist. While no one landed the McTwist, that didn't stop Gaby Ponce and last year's champion Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins from attempting to be the first female to successfully complete the trick in competition. Owning the Final from the second she took the ramp, Gaby Ponce claimed gold for the first time, improving upon her bronze finish in 2009.

"I was so nervous that I was up all night," said Ponce. "This is the biggest contest for women's skateboarding. The McTwists I tried today were the closest I have ever gotten because I was so pumped."

Ponce's method and momentum featured plenty of hangtime and awesome tricks, including a huge backside blast, double kick, nose grab, gay twist, back-to-back airs and efforts to stick the McTwist. Silver medalist Adams Hawkins impressed the packed NOKIA Theatre with her kick flip indies and multiple attempts to grab the elusive McTwist. At one point, the audience chanted "Twist, Twist," and her last chance ended with her skateboard getting caught and dangling from the safety net.

"Women's Vert was awesome this year as we are pushing the envelope and progressing every year," Adams Hawkins said. "The new format gave us all a chance to work on something towards the end with the 5-wall max for ten minutes."

Karen Jonz finger flipped to indy and landed in third place to take her fourth X Games medal in bronze.

Final standings from X Games 16 Women's Skateboard Vert Final:

Here are the final rankings:
1. Gaby Ponce, from Tenafly, N.J.
2. Lyn-z Adams Hawkins, from Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Calif.
3. Karen Jonz, from Santo Andre, Brazil
4. Mimi Knoop, from Chesapeake, Va.
5. Cara-Beth Burnside, from Encinitas, Calif.
6. Nora Vasconcellos, from Pembroke, Mass.
7. Allysha Bergado, from El Segundo, Calif.
8. Julie Kindstrand, from Santa Ana, Calif.