Meghan Rutledge has never won X Games gold. In fact, the 18-year-old Moto X rider has never even led during an X Games event. So you could imagine her excitement on Saturday night as she approached the finish line, well on her way to a Women’s Moto X Racing gold.
But then she got too excited.
Call it inexperience or call it overzealousness, the Australia native was about to dethrone back-to-back champion – and the hottest rider in women’s Moto X – Vicky Golden, when she decided to start her celebration a little early. That’s when it all fell apart for Rutledge.
Entering the final turn, Rutledge decided to give a fist pump while in mid-flight and as a result, she came down awkwardly on the bike, causing her to slide into the dirt as several riders passed her.
The finish was a shame for Rutledge, who deserved to win the race given the way she competed throughout the entire event. It was just one little brain fart that cost her Moto X’s biggest award and instantly made her an internet sensation. Hopefully she learned her lesson.
“I’m really young, I’ve never led an X Games before,” she told ESPN. “I celebrated a bit too early and made a mistake unfortunately, which gave Vicki Golden an opening to take first again.”
She’s no DeSean Jackson or Leon Lett – NFL players who suffered similar embarrassment – but it’s certainly something she won’t live down for a while. That mistake could be blooper reel fodder for quite some time – or at the very least, a lesson on what not to do when leading.
Ed is an MMA/Extreme Sports contributor for CraveOnline Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @PhillyEdMiller, and subscribe at Facebook.com/CraveOnlineSports.
