Luc Ackermann conquers Costa Rica –
Thuringian FMX athlete wins the X-Knights
More than 30,000 freestyle motocross fans at the Estadio Nacional San José shouted last Saturday the name of the Thuringian freestyle motocross athlete Luc Ackermann. The 21-year-old from Niederdorla was for the first time in his career at the X-Knights in Costa Rica, a spectacular extreme sports contest with it. Here he met an extremely select field of world champions, Red Bull X-Fighters winners and X Games winners. In addition to Ackermann with X-Fighters winner Dany Torres (EPS), reigning FIM FMX world champion Maikel Melero (ESP), X Games medalist Taka Higashino (JAP), Red Bull X-Fighters winner Clinton Moore (AUS) and the multiple X Games and X-Fighters triumphant Tom Pages (FRA) a total of six athletes at the start.
In the first round, the FMX drivers had to qualify for the semi-finals. With tricks like the front flip, a flair, the 360 or the double backflip, the Thuringian shocked the competition and took the lead, followed by Melero, Higashino and Moore. Audience favorite Dany Torres could not place in the top four. Even for Tom Pages it was not enough after his fall at the bike flip.
In the semifinals, the athletes risked even more. Higashino pulled the Rock Solid Backflip, Melero the No Hand Frontflip. But also Ackermann put the Surfer Tsunami Flip on a trick on his preliminary round run on it. He again shot to the top of the field, which was reduced to the final round to the Australian Moore, who crashed the Alley Ooop flair.
In the thrilling final Higashino and Melero again pulled their hardest tricks. The young German also showed his best tricks on his 450s Husqvarna motocross bike, including the Surfer Tsunami Flip, Flair, Frontflip, 360, Ruler Indy Flip and the Double Backflip. When he unpacked the Double Backflip Nac Nac combination as his last jump, there was no stopping him. The 30,000 fanatical FMX fans shouted the name of the Thuringian, who was also chosen by the judges as the winner of the X-Knights 2019. With his performance, Luc Ackermann conquered Costa Rica by storm. With the gold medal in this prestigious extreme sport event he achieved another milestone in his career. The reigning European champion from Germany also leads the overall standings of the FIM Freestyle MX World Championship ahead of his opponent Maikel Melero, the five-time champion.
RESULTS X-Knights San Jose/Costa Rica
Estadio Nacional San José
09th March 2019
1. Luc Ackermann GER 98 points
2. Maikel Melero ESP 93 points
3. Taka Higashino JAP 90 points
4. Clinton Moore AUS
5. Dany Torres ESP
6. Tom Pages FRA