posted Mar 12th, 2018 - The upcoming Shamrock Showdown 2018 is pitching the best teams in the world against each other in many different ways.

SDC Rhythm XP will try to be much closer to Arizona Airspeed at an outdoor competition, compared to the first indoor confrontation this year at the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship 2018, and make it a real battle for the U.S top spot.

The French national team in 4-way Open, Realfly Sion, has the first outdoor opportunity to meet the U.S. national team since the last world meet in Ottawa 2016. The same French lineup has not competed yet with and against the new Airspeed lineup, while both teams are aiming at FAI gold medals later this year in Australia.

Realfly Sion had an impressive showing at the FAI Outdoor World Cup 2017 where they finished only one point behind NMP PCH HayaBusa after four rounds. The 20-pointer in Round 4 in Saarlouis, which tied the Belgian highscore, was the last outdoor score of the French team. SDC Rhythm XP competed at the same event and finished right behind Realfly Sion. The French national team met the new Airspeed lineup at the Wind Games 2018 and lost the first indoor competition. Realfly Sion and French national coach Mathieu Bernier will try to bring back the memories of the FAI World Cup 2017 in Saarlouis when they are facing Arizona Airspeed this week.

FAI World Cup 2017			1	2	3	4	(5)	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open - Top 10		L,O,F,K,11	C,3,7	13,2,G	1,17,20	(5,E,21)	Total	Avg
1	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	35	26	21	20	(28)	102	25.5
2	RealFly-Sion	FR	35	26	20	20	(23)	101	25.3
3	SDC Rhythm XP	US	33	24	20	16	(-)	93	23.3
4	Black Cat	RU	26	24	17	18	(24)	85	21.3
5	bUSA Defiance	US	26	22	16	17	(19)	81	20.3
6	Airbus	DE	27	21	17	15	(19)	80	20.0
7	Espoir Saumur Weembi	FR	25	19	16	18	(16)	78	19.5
8	Papea Masculino	ES	26	19	12	14	(18)	71	17.8
8	ISR FireFlash	BE	24	18	14	15	(19)	71	17.8
8	Barguzin	RU	24	15	17	15	(19)	71	17.8

As Arizona Airspeed, the French national Open Class team also has to defend the domestic top position in DeLand. The French Weembi Girls, national team in 4-way Women, used to be the strongest challenger for the national Open Class team. The FAI World Cup 2017 was also the last time that both French national 4-way teams competed with and against each other at an outdoor meet.

Both teams attended the Wind Games, where the French Girls had B-Team member Gaelle Giesen in the lineup who had to substitute for Pamela Lissajoux. The team is back with the complete team in DeLand and eager to challenge Realfly Sion. The French Weembi Girls are the top contender for the FAI gold medals in 4-way Women in Australia.

The Qatar Tigers are planning to be a part of the race for this year's FAI medals, as well. They have the opportunity to measure their own current performance level with four of the best teams in the world. As the French national team, the Qatar Tigers have not met the new Airspeed lineup at an outdoor competition yet, after the 5th place at the FAI Mondial 2016. They finished right behind Arizona Airspeed and Realfly Sion at the Wind Games this year.

Wind Games 2018			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class		K,5,4	12,8,M	19,2,17	P,C,F,16	D,B,9,N	22,21,13	3,14,11	G,L,E,Q,10	6,20,H	A,O,18,1	Total	Avg
1	NMP-PCH Hayabusa	BE	31	26	27	46	54	23	24	38	31	32	332	33.2
2	Arizona Airspeed	US	29	26	27	41	51	24	24	35	31	28	316	31.6
3	Realfly Sion	FR	29	24	27	42	45	22	23	35	29	28	304	30.4
4	Qatar Tigers	QA	27	25	25	42	41	19	20	30	28	27	284	28.4
5	French Weembi Girls	FR	27	23	25	39	47	19	20	30	27	25	282	28.2

Last and not least, the Shamrock Showdown is also pitching two former team mates against each other.

Mathieu Bernier and Jeremie Rollett have won several FAI gold medals in 4-way and 8-way together between 2006 and 2010. Mathieu Bernier has been the French national coach since Jeremie Rollett resigned from the job after the FAI World Cup 2015 in Teuge to work only with the Qatar Tigers.

Mathieu Bernier, the only Formation Skydiving competitor in history who has won 4-way and 8-way gold at the same world meet, is in charge of both French national teams and has even dropped his slot with the Weembi High Rollers who were challenging NMP PCH HayaBusa at indoor meets in 2017. He has to win as many medals for the French delegation as possible, and his former team mate Jeremie Rollett will try to interfere with the Qatar Tigers.

Jeremie Rollett has only the Qatar Tigers on his coaching agenda, which allows him to join his other former French 4-way and 8-way team mates here and there at indoor meets. He competed at the Wind Games for Gavroche Weembi and is also in the lineup for the French Indoor Nationals 2018. The Qatar Tigers outscored Gavroche and their coach at the Wind Games...

---

Shamrock Showdown 2018 March 16 - 18 at Skydive DeLand

Shamrock Showdown Information

Skydive DeLand has confirmed the availability of a Cessna Caravan, beginning on March 1st through the competition, and as needed after the meet. Participating teams pay $22 per jump ticket for training before and after the meet. Let us know that your team is planning to attend and tell us your team's preference for the jump plane: Twin Otter or Cessna Caravan. Please send an e-mail as soon as possible.

Shamrock Showdown 2018			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class		TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	US	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1	RealFly-Sion	FR	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1	SDC Rhythm XP	US	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1	French Weembi Girls	FR	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1	Qatar Tigers	QA	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1	SCZ ZEUS	US	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1	FL Defiance	US	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1	Adventure Flyers	PY	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

---

---