On July 4 (Sat) and 5 (Sun), 2026, the world’s premier action sports competition, “X Games Chiba 2026,” was held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba. This event marked the beginning of a new era with the debut of the “X Games League (XGL)“—the first-ever team-based league in action sports history. Four iconic city teams—”XC Los Angeles,” “XC New York,” “XC São Paulo,” and “XC Tokyo“—clashed for the title of inaugural champion and a total prize purse of $500,000, separate from their individual standings.
In the BMX discipline, a total of four events were held: Men’s Street, Men’s Park, Men’s Park Best Trick, and—for the first time in Japanese tournament history—Women’s Park.
From absolute champion Garrett Reynolds’ commanding victory, to Miharu Ozawa securing back-to-back titles following her win at the XGL season opener in Sacramento, to fierce battles in the Park events featuring a string of world-first tricks, history was made multiple times across just two days.
Here is a summary of the BMX highlights from the event.
Men’s BMX Street: Garrett Reynolds Dominates with Authority; Youngest Rider Sosuke Hayata Shows Strong Presence
In Men’s BMX Street, absolute champion Garrett Reynolds (USA / XC São Paulo)—holding 16 gold medals in BMX Street—claimed victory. Marking a 94.00 on his second run, his ability to effortlessly link high-difficulty tricks like the “360 Barspin” into fluid combos fully displayed the aura of an undisputed champion.
Runner-up Jordan Godwin (UK) effortlessly navigated a multitude of rail tricks to complete a clean, fully made run. Most notably, he ended nearly every landing with a “180 Out,” showcasing a riding style meticulously polished down to every detail of his flow.
Third place went to Devon Smillie (USA). After landing a massive “Barspin to Manual to Smith Grind,” he kept the momentum going to complete a full run and land a spot on the podium.
Special mention goes to 15-year-old Sosuke Hayata (Hyogo), the youngest Japanese rider in the lineup. After setting the record as the youngest competitor in BMX Street history at age 14 during the 2024 Chiba event, Hayata delivered another standout performance, demonstrating the skill and promise needed to carry the future of Japanese BMX.
Women’s BMX Park: First-Ever Domestic Event; Miharu Ozawa Claims Back-to-Back Titles Following Sacramento
One of the biggest talking points of the tournament was the domestic debut of Women’s BMX Park. As a historical first, significant attention was focused on who would carve their name as the very first winner.
Taking the gold medal was 16-year-old Miharu Ozawa (Gifu / XC Tokyo), who came out on top once again after her victory at the XGL opening round in Sacramento. Building her score steadily with a 90.00 on her first run and 91.00 on her second, she pushed her performance even further on her third run. Incorporating upgraded tricks like a “Backflip Tailwhip,” “360 Tailwhip,” and “Double Barspin,” she scored a 93.33 to narrowly top Hannah Roberts and claim consecutive victories.
Ozawa’s achievement of back-to-back wins in her debut X Games season stands as an unprecedented feat in the history of Women’s BMX Park.
Second place went to Hannah Roberts (USA / XC New York). On her second run, Roberts effortlessly landed high-difficulty tricks like a “Flair” and “Backflip Barspin,” demonstrating her exceptional variety and execution for a flawless 93.00-point run that kept her in direct contention with Ozawa until the very end.
Kim Lea Müller (Germany) finished in third place. The three podium finishers stood out from the field in terms of trick density, smooth flow, and overall difficulty. Roberts and Ozawa, in particular, excelled in trick construction by combining multiple technical elements into single maneuvers.
Though they missed the podium, Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Nikita Ducarroz (Switzerland) and Paris Olympics silver medalist Perris Benegas (USA / XC Los Angeles) put up strong fights. Both showcased distinct styles, with attempts at “540s” and stylish tricks like the one-handed “One-Hand X-UP.” The high level of competition for a first-ever domestic staging bodes very well for the future popularity of Women’s BMX Park.
Men’s BMX Park: Marcus Christopher Triumphs in a Wild Battle; Rimu Nakamura Thrills the Crowd with a World-First Trick
Men’s BMX Park featured a star-studded lineup including Rim Nakamura (Japan / XC Tokyo)—who claimed his long-sought first win at “X Games Osaka 2025“—Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Logan Martin (Australia / XC New York), and Paris Olympics gold medalist José Torres (Argentina), resulting in a fiercely unpredictable battle right down to the wire.
From the first run, Nakamura, Marcus Christopher (USA / XC Los Angeles), and Logan Martin put up high scores. Seeking to top those marks, riders elevated their trick complexity even further in the second run.
Kieran Reilly (UK) and Marcus Christopher brought the crowd to its feet by fully completing runs featuring one of the highest-difficulty maneuvers: the “Double Flair.” Justin Dowell (USA) attempted a “Frontflip,” while Nakamura pursued a world-first trick landing.
On the decisive third run, Nakamura landed a world-first “540 Quad Barspin.” Justin Dowell responded with a massive “Alley-Oop 540 Backflip Flair,” but fell just short of Nakamura’s score. In his final run, Logan Martin delivered a “Flair” with various creative tweaks, making it look almost fundamental; his reverse-rotation flair sent shocks through the venue, earning him a 91.00.
In the end, Marcus Christopher held onto his first-run score of 93.00 to take the victory. Logan Martin secured second with 91.00, and Rim Nakamura locked in third with an 89.00 on the back of his historic “540 Quad Barspin.”
BMX Park Best Trick: An Exchange of World-Firsts; Mike Varga Takes Gold
BMX Park Best Trick turned into a world-class spectacle with multiple world-first tricks put on display. Bryce Tryon (USA) took an early lead by stomping a clean “540 Flair,” setting a high-level standard right from the start.
Next to shake up the venue was Mike Varga (Canada), who seized momentum by landing a world-first “Decade 900.” This ultra-complex combination involves a “Decade”—where the rider rotates 360 degrees around the handlebars while holding the bike stationary—combined with a 2.5-spin (900-degree) rotation of both body and bike in midair.
Logan Martin followed with a “540 Double Downside Tailwhip,” spinning his body twice while whipping the bike twice in the opposite direction.
Building on his momentum from the Park event, gold medalist Marcus Christopher climbed the standings by landing a world-first “Flair Triple Downside Tailwhip.”
On the final run, Best Trick staple Ryan Williams (Australia / XC São Paulo) attempted a mind-boggling “Double Front Bike Flip.” After attempting it since his first run, he finally put it down on his last attempt. A slight dab of the foot kept him off the podium, but his relentless pursuit capivated the crowd.
The contest proved to be a thrilling spectacle where virtually every trick attempted was capable of securing a podium spot if landed cleanly.
Tournament Results
【Men’s BMX Street】
1st: Garrett Reynolds (USA / XC São Paulo)［94.00pt］
2nd: Jordan Godwin (UK)［91.33pt］
3rd: Devon Smillie (USA)［90.33pt］
【Women’s BMX Park】
1st: Miharu Ozawa (Japan / XC Tokyo)［93.33pt］
2nd: Hannah Roberts (USA / XC New York)［93.00pt］
3rd: Kim Lea Müller (Germany)［88.33pt］
【Men’s BMX Park】
1st: Marcus Christopher (USA / XC Los Angeles)［93.00pt］
2nd: Logan Martin (Australia / XC New York)［91.00pt］
3rd: Rimu Nakamura (Japan / XC Tokyo)［89.00pt］
【BMX Park Best Trick】
1st: Mike Varga (Canada)
2nd: Marcus Christopher (USA / XC Los Angeles)
3rd: Logan Martin (Australia / XC New York)
Event Overview
Event Name: X Games Chiba 2026
Dates:
July 3, 2026 (Fri): Official Practice / Press Conference Day
July 4, 2026 (Sat): Doors Open 9:00 / Start 9:30 – End 21:00
July 5, 2026 (Sun): Doors Open 9:00 / Start 9:15 – End 19:00
(Friday was open only to authorized personnel, invited guests, and media. General admission was open Saturday and Sunday.)
Venue: Makuhari Messe (2-1 Nakase, Mihama-ku, Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture)
Disciplines: 15 events across 3 sports (10 Skateboard, 4 BMX, 1 Moto X)
Athletes: 77 athletes from 17 countries
New Format: Round 2 of the X Games League (XGL) (Round 1: Sacramento, USA; Round 3: New Orleans, USA)
Organizer: X Games Japan Organizing Committee
Managing Body: Chiba City | Co-organizer: Chiba City Sports Association
Supporters: World Skate Japan, Japan Skateboarding Federation, Japan Freestyle BMX Federation, Motorcycle Federation of Japan, TEAM JAPAN MX PROJECT, J-WAVE (81.3FM), The Yomiuri Shimbun |
Global Partners: MoonPay, Stake
Sponsors: Monster Energy, Murasaki Sports, Mos Food Services, Jichodo
Cooperation: X Games Japan Chiba Supporters Association, FLAKE CUP, Premium Water, Motocross International