Jeremy Lusk, a Freestyle motocross star and 2008 X Games gold medalist, died Tuesday from head injuries sustained riding in an event in Costa Rica. He was 24.
Lusk was injured Saturday when he failed to complete a full rotation while attempting a Hart Attack backflip on his bike and slammed head-first into the dirt. He underwent surgery to relieve swelling on his brain, but his condition worsened Monday.
Lusk crashed in almost identical fashion in the freestyle semifinals at the 2007 X Games but was unhurt. Last March, while preparing for the Moto X World Championships, Lusk said he didn't attempt the Hart Attack backflip for months after his X Games crash.
"I was a little scared of it," he said.
Lusk enjoyed a successful 2008 season, during which he won Freestyle gold at the X Games, silver in Best Trick when he landed the first double grab Hart Attack backflip, and a bronze helmet in Freestyle at the Moto X World Championships. He also won both Freestyle and Best Trick last September at X Games Mexico and finished third overall in Freestyle on the '08 Dew Tour. A San Diego native, Lusk is survived by his wife, Lauren.
