Motocross star Jayden Archer dies aged 27 trying to complete dangerous trick

22 February 2024 , 09:31

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Jaydn Archer has died at the age of 27 (Image: Instagram)

Motocross star Jaydn 'Jayo' Archer has sadly died at the age of 27 after practising a triple backflip during training in Melbourne, Australia on Wednesday.

Archer, who shot to fame as he became the first-ever motocross rider to land the stunt in competition, passed away after trying the trick again when it all went wrong. Nitro Circus, an action sports media brand started by multisport ace Travis Pastrana, paid an emotional tribute to the rider.

"The Nitro Circus family is mourning the loss of Jayo Archer," a statement read. "Jayo was the epitome of passion, hard work and determination. He pushed what was possible on a dirt bike to heights never seen before. A positive influence to those around him. And above all else, a great human being and friend to us all."

Pastrana added to ESPN: "This really hit home. Jayo grew up in a time when action sports was at its biggest, and he always wanted to do the big stuff like the double and the triple, even though there weren't a lot of places to showcase those bigger tricks.

"He'd get up every morning at 4 a.m. and go to the gym before work so he could ride his dirt bike. When he came to Maryland to train, he stayed at my house and was an incredible role model to my kids. He was a great human first, a hard worker second and a bad motherf---er third."

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Archer burst on to the scene when he executed a triple backflip at the Nitro World Games in Brisbane in 2022. As he celebrated, Archer proposed to his girlfriend, Beth King. They were due to get married later this year.

Jaydn Archer was due to marry girlfriend, Beth King (Instagram)

Archer became famous after performing the triple backflip in 2022 (Instagram)

"I cannot describe this feeling," Archer said after landing the trick at the time. "This is so much more than a trick to me. I’ve dedicated my entire life the last three years to this moment. There were a lot of obstacles and broken bones and knockouts, and I would do it 100 times over to relive that moment again."

It had been reported that Archer was planning to attempt a world-first quadruple backflip before his death. Archer performed his first show back in 2012 and ended up winning two X Games medals.

"No one had a bigger heart or more determination than Jayo," Ricky Melnik, senior vice president and GM of Nitro Circus, told ESPN. "We called him the Incredible Hulk. He was a beast on the bike and a gentle giant off it.

"Watching him go through the process of learning and landing the triple flip in competition was so inspiring. He wanted to take FMX to the next level and go further than anyone had gone before."

Kieran King