posted Aug 24th, 2018 - The recent evaluation of the slowest sequences and the lowest scores of the world's best 4-way teams was concluded on 22 August 2018 with the scoring data of the reigning 4-way world champions from Belgium, NMP PCH HayaBusa.

The story mentioned that the evaluation was based on scoring data of the 2017 season, as HayaBusa has not attended any outdoor meets this year so far, except for the military CISM Championship. This event has its own rules, which are very different compared to FAI/IPC events.

Each sequence has a Star as the exit formation, and the working time begins after five seconds or whenever the team breaks the Star. Two random formations and a block follow in variable order.

HayaBusa's task at the CISM Championship has obviously nothing to do with technical challenges of the slowest sequences in the FAI/IPC dive pool. It is in fact more a real speed test, an area where the Belgian world champions feel very comfortable in. However, there was even competition in Hungary this week, and the mental skills of the team were challenged, as well.

CISM 2018			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Men		M,F,11,A	M,Cat,E,21	M,J,D,17	M,14,N,G	M,10,Q,B	M,22,H,P	M,L,4,K	M,19,O,C	Total	Avg
1	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	31(-4)	36(-1)	43(-2)	32	30(-2)	35	38	35(-1)	280	35.0
2	Qatar Tigers	QA	36(-2)	33(-1)	39	24(-2)	30	29	29(-1)	31	251	31.4
3	Airheads	CH	31	31	36(-2)	26	27	26(-1)	28	28	233	29.1

The Qatar Tigers had competed at the same event last year, as well, and they were back for their military duties at the CISM Championship.

NMP PCH HayaBusa finished slightly below last year's meet average after a total of ten point deductions, while the Qatar Tigers had a higher meet average.

The Tigers had won Round 1 at the CISM Championship 2017 and caught HayaBusa once again on the wrong foot at the meet opener. It was only a 1-point difference last year, while the Tigers won Round 1 by five points this week. HayaBusa lost a whole page of scoring formations due to the video angle.

Team videographer Luc Van Britsom is not used to filming exits from the ramp of a large helicopter, and it took him a few jumps until he caught exit and sub-terminal pages without any point deductions. This made it easier for the Qatar Tigers to stay closer to the Belgian 4-way world champions, who ran away from the field as soon as all scoring formations turned into points on the leaderboard.

CISM 2017		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Men	M,B,22,M	M,10,H,F	M,14,C,J	M,A,K,4	M,17,E,L	M,G,11,Q	M,19,O,D	M,P,21,N	Total	Avg
1	NMP PCH HayaBusa	27(-1)	37	35(-1)	38(-1)	45	30(-3)	37	34	283	35.4
2	Qatar Tigers	28	32(-1)	26(-3)	34	41	27(-1)	32	29(-1)	249	31.1

The best Swiss 4-way team, Airheads, is a military team, as well, and took the bronze medals at the CISM Championship. The same team had missed the FAI bronze medals only by one single point after a 10-round battle with Echochamber at the FAI European Indoor Championship 2018.

The HayaBusa meet videos of the CISM Championship is showing the Belgians in good shape in their strongest area, the faster sequences, even though the Qatar Tigers have moved closer. There was still a 29-point difference after Round 8, and the point deductions due to the video angle in the first three rounds had their own impact on the final meet average.

The military event was still a great test of the team's mental skills. Andy Grauwels said that his team had to get up at 6:00 AM every day and then be ready all day long for a 15-minute call until the day was over at 8:00 PM. There was not much time to activate body's and mind's system when the 15-minute call came, and the event stretched out over a whole week. The situation will be much different and more reliable at the FAI World Meet, and NMP PCH HayaBusa will be well prepared for the upcoming national championships and then the world meet after the speed and mental test in Hungary...