Donnybrook's Sheehan's still flipping awesome

Donnybrook freestyle motocross tyro Josh Sheehan continued his glittering run of form when he won the Australian leg of the Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour held in Sydney over the weekend.

More than 10,000 packed the stunning Cockatoo Island course to get a glimpse of Sheehan, who pulled-off a perfect double backflip to blitz the tour’s sixth and final round.

In a career-defining year of results, the 25-year-old has recorded three podium finishes on the Red Bull Tour, six consecutive international wins and a bronze medal at X Games last month —the first time he performed the double backflip in competition.

‘‘It was such a great weekend, all that night and the next day I had a big grin on my face,’’ Sheehan told the South Western Times on Tuesday.

‘‘It was the first time that the Red Bull X-Fighters had come toAustralia, and I won my first round in front of friends and family in my home country.

‘‘I had an awesome time.’’

Sheehan, who rides a Honda CRF450R, displayed one of the most technically difficult freestyle runs in Freestyle MX history, when he performed not only the double backflip, but also a 360 heelclicker and one of the biggest ruler backflips in his twominute run.

He finished fourth in the overall series standings behind eventual champion Danny Torres, from Spain.

The Red Bull series is renowned as one of the most prestigious events of its type in the world, with the show in Sydney heralded as the most spectacular in the event’s 11-year history.

‘‘I put a bit of pressure on myself, I had the double backflip organised and had the ramp set up,’’ Sheehan said.

‘‘I was aiming to win, but I would have been happy to take a podium.’’

Sheehan returned to Donnybrook earlier this week for a brief training hiatus before he returns to his bike for demonstrations at next month’s IGA Perth Royal Show and competition’s in Europe later this year.