Danny Davis wins X Games halfpipe gold

ASPEN, Colo. (AP) — Danny Davis got the perfect boost on his way to Sochi — a win at the Winter X Games.

Davis showed signs he might give Shaun White a run in Russia, mixing old-school moves with huge jumps to score a 95 on Sunday and win the last major halfpipe contest before the Olympics.

White skipped the X Games, choosing training over a shot at his seventh straight title in Aspen.

It left a wide-open race for the win and Davis took it, edging Louie Vito by two points.

Another of White’s challengers, Iouri Podladtchikov, couldn’t land his four-twisting “Yolo” trick cleanly and finished sixth.

This marks the latest step of a big comeback for Davis, who was a shoo-in for the Vancouver Olympics but stayed home after breaking his pelvis in an accident while riding an all-terrain vehicle.