Motocross Star and X Games Medalist Jayo Archer Dead at 27 After Accident While Practicing Triple Backflip

"Jayo was the epitome of passion, hard work & determination," Nitro Circus wrote on Instagram

Motorcross star and X Games medalist Jayden "Jayo" Archer is dead. He was 27.

Archer died on Wednesday morning while practicing a triple backflip in his hometown of Melbourne, Australia, according to ESPN. Nitro Circus, an actions sports collective of which Archer was a member, confirmed his death in a statement on Instagram.

"The Nitro Circus family is mourning the loss of Jayo Archer. Jayo was the epitome of passion, hard work & 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," their statement read.

Archer worked as an assistant mechanic for Nitro Circus for years before performing in his first show in 2012, according to ESPN.

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He became one of only three riders to achieve the triple backflip in November 2022, when he performed the trick for the first time at the Nitro World Games, per CBS Sports.

In an interview following the milestone accomplishment, Archer said he had worked on achieving it for years.

"I cannot describe this feeling. This is so much more than a competition and a trick to me. I've dedicated my whole life for the last three years doing this," he said in a video shared on the Nitro Circus YouTube page. "I've had a lot of obstacles and broken bones and knockouts, and I would do it 100 times over to relive that moment again."

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Following his speech, he proposed to his girlfriend, Beth King, who was standing nearby. They were set to marry this year, according to ESPN.

Archer was last seen performing a triple backflip during a Nitro Circus Live Show in Jay, Oklahoma, in June 2023, per CBS Sports.

In 2023, he took won the bronze medal in the MTX Best Trick category at X Games California. He previously competed in the category at the 2021 X Games and earned sixth place.

Travis Pastrana, Nitro Circus co-founder, told ESPN that Archer's death "really hits home."

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"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," Pastrana said.

"He'd get up every morning at 4 a.m. and go to the gym before work so he could ride his dirt bike," he continued. "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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