posted Feb 14th, 2013 - The NSL News featured the race for the unofficial title of the world's 2012 amateur champion with the story on 30 December 2012.

The interest of the audience in this topic and the participation in the NSL Poll was impressive with 600 votes.

The competition for this highly regarded title was eventually reduced to Thunder's international lineup and SportLoto from Russia who both were not eligible to compete at the Mondial Dubai 2012. The race in Dubai took place only between UK's national team Satori and Ex3mo from Italy.

Thunder and SportLoto are both on the list of teams for the World Challenge 2013, which means that this exciting duel will continue for another year. Both teams have made plans for the complete 2013 season.

This year's duel between the two teams begins at Bodyflight Bedford. It will be the 3rd time that Thunder and SportLoto compete at the same indoor competition, and this year's event will be the most interesting one.

SportLoto was far ahead of Thunder in 2011 and did not have the complete lineup at the World Challenge 2012 where Thunder was as far ahead as SportLoto was a year earlier.

World Challenge 2011

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

10,C,5

20,P,2

H,M,Q,K,A

L,J,16,12

E,7,15

O,11,22

14,B,17

6,13,9

4,3,21

1,G,8

Total

Avg

6

SportLoto (RU)

21

23

49

23

29

20

25

23

21

21

255

25.5

World Challenge 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

D,Q,9,10

17,P,11

2,21,7

14,J,O,M

A,L,18,16

N,H,20,G

C,E,19,22

1,8,4

K,6,3

12,F,5

Total

Avg

7

Thunder

29

25

23

31

16

23

26

21

24

23

241

24.1

Former Kaktus Hunters Egor Gusev and Andrei Kharitonov put SportLoto together when their previous team project was over. Kaktus Hunter, with Andrei's sister Katya Kharitonova and Anna Panasyuk in the lineup, had posted a 25.2 average at the World Challenge 2010.

Egor Gusev and Andrei Kharitonov then joined forces with Yuri Drozdov and Dima Samochval for the 2011 season. Both are experienced Russian 4way and 8way competitors, and it was not a big surprise that SportLoto started off from a high performance level. It was still not high enough yet to qualify as the Russian national 4way team. Sky Panthers Barkli is still winning the Russian Nationals year after year. It may change in 2013.

Russian Nationals 2010		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	7,4,M	9,A,1	22,D,O,20	19,17,3	11,Q,K,C	21,L,15	H,E,N,14	B,P,F,J,G	12,8,5	10,6,16	Total	Avg
1	Sky Panthers	26	26	23	22	27	22	23	45	19	21	254	25.4
2	Black Cat	24	29	24	21	27	19	27	39	19	14	243	24.3
3	Gradient Alpha	23	24	19	19	23	19	24	41	17	18	227	22.7
4	Kaktus Hunter	19	25	18	17	26	18	22	39	15	17	216	21.6
5	Ocean 5	21	23	18	15	24	19	19	28	17	19	203	20.3

Yuri Drozdov stands just as much for a new generation of Russian competitors as the two former Kaktus Hunters. In fact, he completed his AFF course in 2004, together with his SportLoto team mate of now. His first team was the SkySharks 10way in 2006 that turned into an 8way team project in 2007. He also joined his first 4way team the same year.

Contour was Yuri Drozdov's first more competitive team project in 2008 and 2009, and the next step up came a year later. Ocean 5 had an open slot in 2010, and Yuri Drozdov had the opportunity to break the 20-average for the first time at the Russian Nationals 2010.

Ocean 5 did not continue in 2011, and Yuri Drozdov joined SportLoto with experience in all 4way slots. He is now flying in his favorite position, the Tail. Egor Gusev is his Center Inside piece partner.

Dima Samochval is the most experienced competitor in the SportLoto lineup. He started jumping in the Russian army 20 years ago and competed only in the traditional military events, Style and Accuracy. He picked up Formation Skydiving competition in the late 90s and competed with Evolution Pro's 4way lineup of 2004. Eventually he ended up in the Russian national 8way team with Evolution Pro and won the 8way bronze medals for Russia in Germany 2006.

Ocean 5 was also the next team for Dima Samochval. There he met his SportLoto team mate Yuri Drozdov in 2010. He is the Point for SportLoto and in the front piece with Andrei Kharitonov.

SportLoto's Egor Gusev said that his team is ready for the World Challenge 2013: "The entry fee is paid, air tickets are bought, the hotel is reserved..." His team may attend a few more indoor competitions this year but will not compete at the World Cup 2013 in Bosnia. The Russian Nationals 2013 in Kolomna could be the only outdoor competition in early September. The winner will compete for Russia at the World Championship of Formation Skydiving 2014.