posted Dec 26th, 2012 - A fourth team has been added to the candidates for the world's best amateur team in 2012, and the NSL News audience has the option to vote again if desired. SportLoto from Russia surely competed on the same scoring and performance level as the other three teams, as the NSL News story on 17 September 2012 clearly pointed out.

The current poll was sparked by the results at the Mondial Dubai 2012, as the NSL News usually checks on this topic after the main IPC event each year, either the World Cup or the World Championship of Formation Skydiving.

However, the situation has been different this year, as Thunder has joined the international 4way community on the top level and is not eligible for the official IPC leaderboard. It is a similar situation for all top teams who do not win the status as the national team for their country, at least for the participation at the World Championship.

World Cup 2012		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	1,19,2	14,18,15	N,16,20	E,6,J,A	C,K,9,13	F,8,11	Q,22,L,21	B,17,H,P	12,D,0,4	G,10,7	Total	Avg
2	Thunder (BE)	20	17	20	24	27	20	20	31	20	19	218	21.8
3	SportLoto (RU)	16	17	21	29	20	19	20	31	19	20	212	21.2
4	Satori (UK)	16	15	17	28	23	19	20	25	19	20	202	20.2

The Russian top team SportLoto was in this situation since Sky Panthers Barkli competed for Russia in Dubai. SportLoto was the Russian national team at the World Cup 2012 that the Sky Panthers did not attend. However, SportLoto and Thunder both had to watch the Mondial Dubai 2012 from home.

Thunder was then included as a candidate for the unofficial world amateur title, and SportLoto should have been in the mix from the beginning, after outscoring Satori who are currently in 2nd place. Thunder has a very strong lead in the first poll results.

SportLoto had challenged Thunder very seriously at the World Cup, and both teams outscored Satori and Ex3mo clearly. The question is now whether the Russian team can still catch up with the popular international Thunder lineup. The race for the unofficial amateur title was close in the first hours on Christmas Day, and the first SportLoto votes came early. However, Thunder jumped far ahead on Wednesday morning.

Mondial Dubai 2012		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rnd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	4way Open Class	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
5	Sky Panthers Barkli (RU)	19(-2)	29(-1)	22(-1)	21	21	18(-2)	28	20(-2)	35	20(-1)	233	23.3
6	Satori (UK)	18	26	21	17	15(-3)	18(-1)	23	17	27	18	200	20.0
7	Ex3mo 4 (IT)	17(-1)	24(-2)	20	14	17	19	22	18(-1)	28(-1)	-	179	19.9

Sky Panthers Barkli showed in Dubai that the 4way and 8way bronze medal winners of 2010 are still quite far ahead of the "amateur teams" from the United Kingdom and Italy, and also indirectly of SportLoto, even though they could not hold the bronze medal position in Dubai. The three 4way medal winners were too strong, and Canada's team Evolution peaked at Michel Lemay's last meet with his three sons.

However, Russia's relatively new SportLoto team has moved closer to the Russian national team and is making plans for the 2013 season. Sky Panthers Barkli could get in trouble without enough 4way training.

SportLoto is not only aiming at the Thunder scoring and performance level and participation at a World Cup where up to four teams of each nation are eligible for the IPC leaderboard and medals. SportLoto will probably try to take the top spot in Russia and compete at the next World Championship of Formation Skydiving. The NSL News will follow up with more information from Russia.