posted Jan 10th, 2016 - The Sun Path Products NSL News has evaluated and discussed the potential of a US Formation Skydiving Sweep at the Mondial 2016 a few times recently. Solly Williams, Gary Smith and Chris Talbert discussed the topic in the COACHES CORNER after the USPA Nationals 2015. Blue Skies Mag published the "TURNING POINTS" column with the same topic for the October issue. It came back up at the next COACHES CORNER on January 5th.

The Blue Skies Mag column mentioned that there might be a lot of pressure on Arizona Airspeed, and the most recent change in the lineup is somehow connected to the rising pressure after the three 2015 losses to NMP PCH Hayabusa.

The situation has changed in 4-way Women, where the Golden Knights seemed to be far ahead of the French FLY-IN Girls after their personnel changes last year and the results at the 1st FAI World Indoor Skydiving Championships. The US national team in 4-way Women has come under serious pressure too after the World Air Games 2015.

World Air Games 2015			Rd 1	Rd 2	Rd 3	Rd 4	Rd 5	Rd 6	Rd 7	Rd 8	Rd 9	Rd 10	Total	Avg
Rank	8-way Open		20,13,4	F,L,B,G,P	22,D,7	14,O,5	9,C,J,H	19,K,3	Q,17,E,A	15,21,18	12,16,1	8,11,2	Total	Avg
1	Golden Knights	US	22	33	19	19	18	22	21	22	29	17	222	22.2
2	Tanay	RU	17	26	17	14	19	21	17	17	24	13	185	18.5
3	France Weembi	FR	16	23	13	15	16	20	17	17	22	13	172	17.2
4	Dubai Asaar	AE	14	17	13	14	15	16	16	16	15	11	147	14.7
5	Qatar Falcons	QA	13	16	14	10	13	16	15	14	16	11	138	13.8

There are still two events, where the U.S. delegation seems to be in a very strong position at this point in time: 8-way Open and VFS. The Sun Path Products NSL News will soon catch up with the VFS situation after meeting SDC Core in training at Skydive Sebastian last week.

The Golden Knights have been the best 8-way team in the world since taking away the title from France in 2012 and defending it successfully two years later in Prostejov 2014.

France has tried in different ways to catch up with the US Army team after losing the William H. Ottley Sword for Formation Skydiving Competition - also known as the Excalibur - at the Mondial Dubai 2012. National coach Jeremie Rollett first replaced the complete lineup of former 8-way world champions in 2013 with a new and young generation of French competitors when it looked like the Golden Knights would not be able to continue with a similarly strong lineup after winning the gold medals in Dubai.

The Golden Knights reversed their own serious makeover after France had committed to the 8-way changes, and the US Army team's 2014 lineup ended up miles ahead of all other 8-way teams with the second set of consecutive gold medals in Prostejov 2014.

The 2015 lineup with only one new member, former team videographer Andrew Starr, turned out to be at least as strong as the previous lineup and eliminated the 18-year old world record for a single round at the World Air Games 2015. They had also tied their own highest 8-way outdoor meet average in history (23.7) of the USPA Nationals 2014 a year later at the national championships in Eloy.

French national coach Jeremie Rollett then reversed the French 8-way strategy and assigned the former 8-way world champions of 2006, 2008 and 2010 back to the same task before Mathieu Bernier took over: Catch up with the Golden Knights at the Mondial 2016. The performance of the Golden Knights at the World Air Games was showing the French challengers what they can expect this year. The Golden Knights made their statement in Dubai with the new 33-pointer world record and a 22.2 average...