posted Dec 12th, 2012 - The NSL News continues with the aftermath coverage of the Mondial Dubai 2012 and goes back to the 8way competition where the last video update was posted after Round 7.

The new videos of Round 8 feature once again the Top 6 teams who made the second cut after Round 9. Unfortunately, only the video of the Golden Knights is missing. However, it is probably almost identical with the video of the French 8way team Aerodyne Maubeuge who tied the US Army team's 28-pointer in this round.

France was in the middle of a desperate hunt at this point in time. The French 4way team was already out of the race for gold medals, and the four 4way competitors still had the opportunity to win 8way gold.

It was a tough situation for the French 8way world champions of 2006, 2008 and 2010. The damage after Round 3 and Round 4 was big. The Golden Knights won eight points in those two rounds, which seemed to be an impossible obstacle for Aerodyne Maubeuge on the way to defend the 8way Excalibur successfully.

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	8way Open	N,21,B,5	14,C,13	22,M,20	17,H,16	J,E,12,4	7,19,15	G,K,8,2	O,L,F,P,A	10,11,18	9,Q,D,1	Total	Avg
1	Golden Knights 8 (US)	21	19	27	26	26	18(-1)	20	28	19(-1)	25	229	22.9
2	Aerodyne Maubeuge (FR)	22	19	22(-2)	23	27	20	20	28	19	25	225	22.5
3	Sky Panthers Barkli 8 (RU)	19	18(-1)	22	22	21(-2)	15	15(-1)	24	16(-1)	20(-1)	192	19.2

However, the French competitors know how to put on a fight, and they like the world meet battles. There was not one 8way team member who had not won a gold medal in this event before the Mondial Dubai 2012.

Six of the 2012 members defeated Arizona Airspeed (123 - 119) in Germany 2006.

The victory in 2008 on home turf in Maubeuge (151 - 140) was more like a walk in the park since the USA did not have a well trained team. The same six team members of 2006 and 2012 won their second set of gold medals without too much work.

It became more challenging when the Golden Knights took over the 8way responsibility for the USA. Aerodyne Maubeuge, with only three team members of 2006 and 2008 in the 2010 lineup, had more work in Menzelinsk 2010 (203 - 196) to defend the sword, while the Golden Knights were still in the building phase.

The three new team members (Arnaud Mille, Julien Olek, Thomas Perrin-Gachadoat) had their first serious opportunity to learn from 8way veterans Martial Ferre and Damien Sorlin how to fight an 8way battle.

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New national manager Jeremie Rollett, 8way world champion of 2006 and 2008 and 4way world champion of 2010, then decided to use the complete 4way lineup to defend the 8way gold medals this year, as well. He lined them up with the three new French 8way world champions of 2010, and alternate Emmanuel "Manu" Sarrazin came back in 4way and 8way. It was somehow a gamble, and the 4way game was already lost when it was time for Round 8 in 8way.

However, Aerodyne Maubeuge had digested the heavy losses in Round 3 and Round 4 well and won the next two rounds. The difference was down to four points, with four more rounds to go. The French comeback then stalled in Round 7, and the Golden Knights tied the great French 28-pointer in Round 8, as well.

The US Army team was not new to world meet atmosphere after Menzelinsk 2010 any longer, and there are a few very experienced competitors (Kurt Isenbarger, Matt Davidson, Brian "BK" Krause) in the young lineup who also knew very well how to get through a tough competition. The Golden Knights put up a strong defense in the last four rounds and did not let the French team get any closer. The videos of Round 8 show the only sequence of five random formations that 8way competition has seen since 1995.