posted Apr 21st, 2015 - The results and placings of the World Challenge 2015 have always provided a preview of the situation in the United Kingdom at the beginning of a new outdoor competition season, and the results at the UK Nationals have often been a mirror of the World Challenge leaderboard.

This year offers once again a very interesting situation on the top of the internal UK leaderboard after the World Challenge. Voodoo, the reigning UK 4-way champion, won again quite easily. Coach Gary Smith was in the lineup this time, while Voodoo's Inside Center at the UK Nationals 2014, Liz Matthews, competed with Fly Like A Girl.

However, Voodoo had bad news for the team fans, which might be good news for the other teams in the AAA Class 4-way competition in the United Kingdom this year. Chances are little that Voodoo will try to defend the title since Vana Parker has to undergo a surgery on her ankle that is overdue.

World Challenge 2015		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 Open	15,K,E,F	11,22,A	16,H,M,19	3,10,D	17,18,P	4,12,O	5,N,L,G	14,B,C,20	2,1,21	J,Q,6,13	Total	Avg
9	Voodoo	31	21	25	21	24	18	27	25	19	26	237	23.7
11	Co-Motion	29	18	23	21	21	18	24	22	19	24	219	21.9
13	Vision 99	29	18	22	19	21	17	26	21	18	21	212	21.2
2	Fly Like A Girl	30	18	24	18	21	18	21	20	19	23	212	21.2
14	ACM	28	18	24	19	20	14	24	23	17	24	211	21.1
3	NFTO	29	18	24	20	16	18	22	21	19	23	210	21.0

The rankings of UK's AAA Class teams behind Voodoo at the World Challenge 2015 seems to promise a very exciting competition season and run-up to the national championships. The next five teams were separated by a total of nine points (21.9 - 21.0) after the ten rounds in Bedford.

The 5-team field includes the two female lineups of Fly Like A Girl and NFTO, who would end up on the same AAA/Open Class leaderboard at the UK Nationals. The national championships don't have a separate leaderboard for teams in 4-way Women.

The same five teams might compete for the two UK slots that qualify for the next world meet at the Mondial 2016, and the British Parachute Association (BPA) could send two female lineups to the world meet if they placed 1st and 2nd at the UK Nationals 2015, one in 4-way Open and another one in 4-way Women.

Two UK teams may have surprised their British AAA Class opposition at the World Challenge 2015 and will probably be taken very seriously this year, and one of them is determined to continue on the UK outdoor top level.

Co-Motion, with Dynamic 4-way expert Alessandro Del Cucina in the lineup, was not on any outdoor leaderboard last year after placing 3rd in the AA Class competition of the World Challenge 2014. ACM is a new lineup with experienced outdoor competitors, and the team has a training plan for the 2015 season.

Hari Ganapathy trained and competed with Raykipo last year. Debbie Lamsley was one of the early Vision 99 members and then competed with Jazz Republic. Katie Woods' younger brother James was a Hyrrokkin member in 2013 and with Lowabusa in 2014. Garreth Hicks competed with SAVoA last year. ACM could become a serious contender for the top spots in the United Kingdom this year.

World Challenge 2015		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 Open	15,K,E,F	11,22,A	16,H,M,19	3,10,D	17,18,P	4,12,O	5,N,L,G	14,B,C,20	2,1,21	J,Q,6,13	Total	Avg
20	Eclipse	22	15	17	16	18	16	20	18	16	21	179	17.9
26	Whoosh!	23	14	19	16	15	16	17	17	15	18	170	17.0
27	Antimatter	21	16	17	14	15	15	18	19	15	17	167	16.7
32	Skyfool	16	13	17	13	13	13	15	14	13	15	142	14.2
33	Quasar	16	12	16	14	13	11	15	15	13	15	140	14.0
33	Equal Pay 4 Women	19	14	10	12	10	12	14	17	15	17	140	14.0
33	Bodyflight Aero	18	13	15	10	13	13	14	15	14	15	140	14.0
36	Left Shark Squad	18	10	17	13	13	12	15	14	11	15	138	13.8
37	Ninja Swans	16	12	17	13	8	11	17	15	12	14	135	13.5
38	Entropy	18	12	14	10	11	13	14	14	13	13	132	13.2
39	Funnel Vision	17	11	14	9	7	9	9	15	13	13	117	11.7

Eleven additional UK teams had their own internal domestic battles on the AAA Class leaderboard. Eclipse was the highest ranking UK team in the AAA Class behind the TOP 6. It was the 4th World Challenge for Eclipse in this category. Antimatter posted the team's highest indoor meet average at the team's third World Challenge in this category.

Equal Pay 4 Women and Bodyflight Aero were the two strongest AA Class teams of 2014, who moved up with the change of the year. Entropy and Funnel Vision made the same move from 2014 to 2015.

Whoosh! was the strongest British pick-up team with four experienced 4-way competitors, and Skyfool was the best dressed team when it was time for photo opportunities - except for Bodyflight Black Majick...