posted Sep 26th, 2013 - Yesterday's Sun Path Products NSL News story included new 8way competition videos of the Golden Knights at the USPA Nationals 2013. The article began with more details of the national 8way competition at Skydive Chicago and transitioned into the bigger picture of international 8way competition at the end.

The article also included the small leaderboard of this year's Russian Nationals, which was reduced to three rounds due to bad weather in Kolomna. Barkli videographer Andrey Seliverstov now provided NSL-TV with the videos of the three competition jumps.

The videos include the 29-pointer in Round 2, which is the highest Russian 8way score for a round in the Sun Path Products NSL News records. Barkli is also in good shape in the other two rounds, despite the poor weather conditions.
Click on the score for a round with a link to see the teams' videos

Russian Nationals 2013		Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total	Avg
Rank	8way Open Class	22,15,C	1,F,4	G,E,14,3	Total	Avg
1	Barkli 8	21	29	19	68	22.7
2	Feniks 11	18	20	15	53	17.7
3	Fly Tanay 8	15	19	10	44	14.7

Golden Knights Rd. 3	Barkli Rd. 2

Barkli has trained and competed with a new 8way lineup this year after winning the bronze medals for Russia at the Mondial Dubai 2012. Vladimir Arutyunov, Alexander Tychinskiy and Sergey Yalpaev left the team. Team captain Oleg Shalamykhin and sponsor Leonid Kazinets had to re-build the lineup for the 2013 season.

They invited Nicholay Sukharnikov, Alexei Minaev and Alexander Golovkin to join Barkli, while Vladimir Arutyunov, Alexander Tychinskiy and Sergey Yalpaev continued in 4way with Fly Station. The new lineup completed approx. 30 jumps before winning the silver medals at the World Cup 2013 in Banja Luka with a 17.3 average.

The new lineup continued and is now responsible for the 22.7 average after three rounds at the national championships.

The three new members are very experienced 8way competitors. In fact, Nicholay Sukharnikov and Alexei Minaev have probably even strengthened the 8way foundation for Barkli. They were 8way team mates when Russia won the country's first gold medals in Spain 2001, together with current Barkli members Oleg Shalamykhin and Vladimir Pavlenko.

Nicholay Sukharnikov, Alexei Minaev, Oleg Shalamykhin and Vladimir Pavlenko won their second 8way gold medals for Russia two years later in Gap 2003. This time, Sergey Shenin was also in the lineup, which makes it a 5way of former 8way world champions for the current Barkli lineup. Oleg Shalamykhin, Vladimir Pavlenko and Sergey Shenin are also training and competing with Nikolay Vylegzhanin in 4way.

New member Alexander Golovkin does not have much 8way experience. The Sun Path Products NSL News introduced him when he joined the Black Cat lineup in 2008:

"Alexander Golovkin, who has been the alternate for Black Cat since 2007, competed in Alexei Minaev's slot last week. It looks as if the former alternate is ready to become a full member. Alexander Golovkin had very little experience in Formation Skydiving competition before he joined Black Cat as the alternate. He was well known as a top freeflyer, and he also filmed the 4way teams Kolomna Quik Blu and Wings. He was born in 1981, made his first jump in 1998 and has now a total of over 5,000 jumps."

Black Cat won the 10-round meet in Russia with a 22.1 average in 2008, and Alexander Golovkin is now one of the youngest current Barkli members. He and Leonid Kazinets have to work hard to keep up with the five former 8way world champions and world class 4way competitor Nikolay Vylegzhanin. The three Barkli rounds are probably showing the best of Barkli's 8way in the past years. The new lineup is on its way to new Russian 8way medals.