posted Dec 11th, 2012 - The NSL News aftermath of the Mondial Dubai 2012 turns back to the 4way Open Class competition, which was the most exciting one of all four Formation Skydiving events. The amazing 1-point difference is the best evidence for this statement.

It is nothing new that the winner is only one single point ahead of the silver medalist in 4way. It happened in Maubeuge 2008 between Airspeed and France, and both nations were separated by only two points in Grenada 2001 and also in Lucenec 1995. There has never been a jump-off in 4way yet, and Airspeed Airspeed and NMP-PCH Hayabusa could not have been any closer to the first one in Dubai.

There is a difference though between the two 1-point finishes in 2008 and 2012. Airspeed had a 1-point advantage over Maubeuge in 2008 after eight rounds (195 - 194) while Airspeed and Hayabusa finished 279 - 278 in Dubai. It is difficult to comprehend that two teams could be so close to each other after scoring so many points in ten rounds.

Mondial Dubai 2012		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	4way Open	5,12,E	6,D,B,K	O, 8,7	N,13,18	10,21,M	19,H,11	C,G,1,A	20,9,15	16,F,P,Q	2,J,4	Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed (US)	27	34	27(-1)	22	23	23(-2)	32	25	40	26	279(282)	27.9
2	NMP-PCH Hayabusa (BE)	25(-1)	34(-2)	27(-1)	21(-1)	23	24(-1)	32(-1)	27	40	25(-1)	278(286)	27.8
3	Aerodyne Aerokart (FR)	26	30(-2)	27	21	23	25	29(-1)	23(-2)	37	24	265(270)	26.5

It was a surprise that it was not even a 3-team battle on the same scoring level. Aerodyne Aerokart simply could not keep up with the two 4way experts from the USA and Belgium after splitting the 2011 and 2012 training resources in half between 4way and 8way. France had to give up both gold medals and Excalibur swords.

The French 4way lineup was not even close, even though the 4way audience was expecting the first serious race for gold medals between three teams. The last results of the NSL Mondial Poll shows that the expectations were high enough for a 3-team battle. However, the audience also predicted the final outcome correctly.

The 3-team battle eventually did not happen, and the team in 3rd place in Maubeuge 2008 (Hayabusa) still had the closest distance to the gold medal position ever (195 - 191). Bronze medal winners Sinapsi from Italy in Germany 2006 (117 - 110) and the Russian Sky Panthers in Menzelinsk 2010 (277 - 264) were also closer to the top spot than France was in Dubai (279 - 265).

It has even happened before that not only USA or France took the first two places at a world meet. Russia placed 2nd in 1989, far behind the winner though (152 - 131). Hayabusa is now the first team from a "third" nation getting closer to gold medals than any other team before in the modern era of Formation Skydiving competition (since 1985).

Airspeed members discussed the extremely close outcome in Dubai during a live NSL Talk Wednesday evening, anchored by Thomas Hughes. It was recorded after the event dinner in the desert on the way back to the hotels. Wednesday had brought the semifinals and finals with the dramatic finish in the 4way Open Class competition.

They were wondering what would have happened if Hayabusa hadn't lost the 279th point in the judging room and after another tie in the jump-off round. The highest score in any completed round would be next and would not break the tie (40-pointers in Round 9). Hayabusa's 27-pointer in Round 8 would eventually be the winner going backwards in the search for the tie breaker. The new videos also include most of Airspeed's competition jumps in Dubai.