posted Sep 2nd, 2008 - The 8-way competition at the Italian Nationals 2008 was not nearly as exciting as the 4-way event since it did not have a similar background as the situation in 4-way. However, the top of the leaderboard of both events did not offer any drama or any surprises. The teams in all medal positions of the Open Class events were clearly separated from each other.

The Italian national 8-way team Ex3mo did not have to fear any combination of two 4-ways teams on the performance level that the team showed at the World Meet 2008.

Ex3mo won the 8-way bronze medals with an 18.0 average after seven rounds in Maubeuge. Only five rounds were completed in 8-way at the Italian Nationals 2008, and Ex3mo won with a 15.8 average in Aquino.

Sinapsi Real Lazio joined forces with the team in 3rd place of the 4-way competition, Felix Areo Club Poseidon, while the 4-way silver medalist and national team at the World Meet 2008, the Spin Team, formed an 8-way team together with the Vertigo TH members, including Arianna de Benedetti.

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The bronze medals at the World Meet 2008 and another Italian championship title are bringing the Ex3mo career to a perfect end. There are no further plans for the Italian 8-way team from here on and at the moment. This situation is very similar to all other 8-way teams on the top of the world meet's leaderboard. It seems to be a complete 8-way makeover for all nations.

World champion France announced already long ago that there will be a completely new lineup after this year's world championship. This was confirmed by the team members and national team manager Jerome David in a live interview with the NSL News right after the competition in Maubeuge.

Silver medalist USA never had any plans that would reach farther than the World Meet 2008. The lineup that competed in Maubeuge has also completely disbanded, and there are no plans for any other national team at the moment. The USPA Nationals 2008 will show if there might be any serious effort to form a new world-class 8-way team.

France has a different system. The lineup of the 2-time world champions in 2006 and 2008 will also discontinue and partially retire, partially continue only in 4-way. However, the members of the new 8-way lineup have already been preparing for its new 8-way chores for quite a while. France hopes to have the new lineup very soon on the same world-class performance level.

Italy and Germany, the next teams in the ranking order of this year's world championship, are in the same position as the USA. There are no plans by the federations or other organisations or sponsors to form new lineups. The German 8-way team EADS was already stretched thin this year, even more so since the four FSC Eisenach members had double duties in 4-way and 8-way. The talented German 4-way team even lost its touch to the top of the 4-way world after focusing mostly on 8-way this year.

The German 4-way and 8-way teams will compete once again next week at the DFV Cup, which is the most relevant competition in Germany this year. Any results of the event will still not produce a new world-class 8-way team, while the 4-way scores will probably initiate a new round of future national team challenges.

The UK team Connextion came well prepared to the World Meet 2008 and finished with a 13.4 average in 5th place. This is one position higher compared to 2006, due to the fact that Russia did not compete in 8-way this year. The meet average of the Connextion lineup at the World Meet 2006 in Germany (11.2) was significantly higher two years later and with four new team members.

The 13.4 Connextion average in Maubeuge still did not beat the previously highest meet average by a British 8-way team. VNE ended up in last place of five teams at the World Meet 2003 in France, however, the VNE lineup finished with a 13.7 average in Gap. This is still the standing 8-way best for a team from the United Kingdom after three previous finishes in 7th place (1997 - 9.8, 1999 - 10.6, 2001 - 10.9). The NSL News has no information yet of the Connextion plans for the near future.

The future of the other four 8-way teams at the World Meet 2008 (Belgium, South Africa, Spain, Australia) is also unknown, and the same counts for the 8-way situation in Russia, the gold medalist of 2001 and 2003.

The situation is obviously very different in 4-way, as all three medal winners have already announced their plans for the 2009 season, and several other 4-way teams will also continue. This includes the new Italian 4-way champion Sinapsi Real Lazio, and the NSL News will follow up soon with more information.