... that the FAI/IPC cuts for semi-finals and finals are history?
10th place after Round 8 in 2001: Japan image by: Omniskoreposted May 13th, 2016 -
Semi-finals and finals have been a part of the Formation Skydiving competition rules at FAI World Championships and FAI World Cups for over 20 years. In the earlier years, the number of teams who would be eliminated after Round 8 and then Round 9 depended on the total number of participating teams (50% of all teams after Round 8, another 50% after Round 9). The elimination rules changed in 2000, and exactly ten teams made it to Round 9 for the first time at the World Meet 2001 in Spain. Only six of the ten teams then continued in Round 10.
This format has been applied ever since, and the Sun Path Products NSL News has given the battles for slots in the semi-finals and finals a lot of attention over the years.
It could become complicated at times to execute the cuts with the previously existing rules, especially if the weather did not cooperate perfectly.
Program of Events: 6.4.1. The World/Continental Championships or World Cup is comprised of up to 8 rounds considered as selection rounds, and final rounds, consisting of one semifinal and one final round. 6.4.2. Time must be reserved before the end of competition to allow for the completion of the semi-final, final and tie break round. 6.4.3. The semi-final round will consist of the teams with the 10 highest placings after the selection rounds. 6.4.4. The final round will consist of the teams with the 6 highest placings after the semifinal. 6.4.5. A selection round left incomplete must be completed as soon as possible, but after the round in progress has been completed. 6.4.6. If all the selection rounds are not completed at the starting time of the semi-final, the round in progress will become the semifinal or final round as appropriate. Where this is the semifinal, the next drawn round will be used for the final round. The following procedures will apply i. The round in progress will be completed if ten or less (in the case of semifinals) or six or less (in the case of finals) teams remain to jump. All scores for this round will count. ii. The round in progress will be performed by only the ten (in the case of semifinals) or six (in the case of finals) highest placed teams if more than ten (in the case of semifinals) or six (in the case of finals) teams remain to jump. The scores of any other teams in this round will be discarded.
Taking notes in Teuge: IPC President Dr. Rainer "Exi" Hoenle
The rules for the cuts have naturally never been really very popular amongst most of the participating teams who traveled to the hosting location to complete only eight or nine rounds.
The dissatisfaction with the elimination rules came once again to the surface during the open meeting of the IPC Formation Skydiving committee at the FAI World Cup 2015 in Teuge, Netherlands.
The majority of the teams and competitors did not see the benefits of the cuts and would rather see all teams complete all ten rounds.
IPC representatives paid attention to the feedback coming directly from the participants and took their notes.
The annual meeting of the International Parachuting Commission (IPC) took place in January in Frankfurt, Germany, this year. The topic was on the agenda, and the delegates of the participating countries fixed the problem the easiest way with a clear-cut. The cuts are history, and all teams will complete all competition rounds for the first time at the Mondial 2016.
The cuts have been completely removed from the rules, without any traces. The only paragraph that relates to the number of rounds also defines that it requires only one round to determine the final rankings.
3.2. Objective of the Events 3.2.1 The objective of the event is for the team to complete as many scoring formations as possible within the working time, while correctly following the sequence for the round. 3.2.2 The accumulated total of all rounds completed is used to determine the placing of teams. Only one completed round is required to declare champions.
Program of Events:
