posted Aug 7th, 2008 - Italy's 8-way team Ex3mo has not only left Team USA 8 behind. Ex3mo has made it even closer to the 8-way leader France. It seems as if the Italian NSL News fans are really powering up the voting process to win the 8-way competition - at least in the polls prior to the event...

The NSL News found Marco Arrigo on the competition site in Maubeuge. He was training with his 4-way team today, the Spin Team, while the 8-way team Ex3mo had some time off. The NSL News had reported earlier that the Italian federation (FIPAS) had finally accepted his double duties in 4-way and 8-way.

Marco Arrigo was chatting with Australian 4-way competitor Gary Nemirovsky, who will compete with his team Airtite in Maubeuge, when the NSL News broke the news for him that his 8-way team is getting very close to the gold medal position in the polls. He liked it.

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The German 8-way team EADS will not easily accept an Italian solo run, realistically for the bronze medals. The FSC Remscheid lineup had defeated the Italian 8-way team at the World Meet 2004 in Croatia by one point (14.0 - 13.9) and was only four points (14.8 - 14.2) behind Ex3mo in Germany 2006.

Then the two best German 4-way teams joined to form an even stronger 8-way lineup, won the German Nationals in 2006 and made plans for the next two years. Team EADS still had to accept that Ex3mo first increased the lead at the FAI World Cup 2007 in Russia (15.8 - 15.0) and won the bronze medals.

Germany is far behind the medal positions in the 8-way polls, and the British team Connextion has even caught up with Team EADS. However, EADS posted a 15.6 average after seven rounds at the Nuggets Cup in July, which stands for the highest 8-way average in German Formation Skydiving competition.

Thomas "Spieli" Spielvogel, one of the most experienced international Formation Skydiving competitors and currently EADS member, said that his team is still hopeful to be in the race for the bronze medals for Italy. He cannot see the Italian team that far away from the German team, and he knows of the EADS potential.

The outcome of the 8-way competition could be very different compared to what the polls currently show, and this would not be a great surprise.

The 8-way teams do not have many competitions to attend, while the 4-way teams have many opportunities to get competition practice. There is a big questionmark behind the Connextion level and the other 8-way lineups from Spain, Belgium, Australia and South Africa. The first 8-way rounds will show who will be in the race for the medals.

Hopefully, the French weather will cooperate much better than it has so far this year. The French teams completed only one single round out of three Coupe de France 2008 events. That has never happened before in French skydiving history.

Last week, a Tornado ripped through the area and destroyed parts of Maubeuge. The skydiving center was very lucky and remained untouched by the damaging winds. The weather has caused enough trouble in France this year, and it was still unstable when the NSL News arrived in Maubeuge.

There was rain and storms and then sunshine, and the teams were off and on all day long on Thursday. Memories of the weather situation in Germany 2006 came back when the dark clouds covered the skies over Maubeuge. However, the forecast is reasonable, and the meet management is surely prepared to use the time as efficiently as possible. The new IPC rules will also make it easier to get a round completed this time...

18th FAI World Formation Skydiving Championships 2008
Who will win medals in the 4-way Open Class?	USA - Airspeed Odyssey France - Maubeuge Russia - Sky Panthers Belgium - Hayabusa Defence Norway - Arcteryx Canada - Evolution
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