posted Apr 24th, 2019 - The 8-way competition at the FAI Indoor World Meet was even more interesting than it could be expected. As in 4-way Open, the top favorite, Paraclete XP8, eventually won with a 7-point difference. However, the brand-new French indoor team was only seven points behind after Round 10, and after winning three rounds, plus a tie in Round 7.

All four teams on the top of the 8-way leaderboard were closer together than at any previous competition, even including the FAI Outdoor World Meet in Australia 2018, where Golden Knights and Qatar Falcons were separated by 54 points after Round 10. The difference between Qatar Falcons in 4th place and winner Paraclete XP8 was only 29 points in Lille.

All four teams even tied their scores once in Round 4, and the distance between 1st and 4th place was not close due to a weak performance of the winner.

Quite to the opposite, Paraclete XP8 delivered a very strong 31.6 performance. Only the Golden Knights posted a higher meet average twice in the past, first at the Clash of Champions in 2015 (32.4), then again at the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship 2017 with a 31.8 average. The Paraclete XP8 average of 31.6 is the third highest in 8-way history.

FAI Indoor World Meet 2019			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class		L,17,4		A,F,3,13		15,18,6		D,8,O,N		P,E,11,9		M,Q,J,16		C,K,19,22		10,1,7		5,G,B,2		H,21,12		Total	Avg
1	Paraclete XP8	US	38		34	-1	33		27		29	-1	43	-2	29		27	-3	28		28		316	31.6
2	France	FR	37		33	-1	29	-1	27		27	-2	44	-3	26		30		27		29		309	30.9
3	Tanay	RU	31	-2	32		29	-1	27		29		42		27		28	-1	25		27		297	29.7
4	Qatar Falcons	QA	32	-1	31	-1	29		27		30	-1	40		24	-3	25	-1	25		24	-2	287	28.7
5	MicroClim8	UK	25		19	-3	22		19		20	-2	31		19		20		19		18		212	21.2
6	Why Not?	PL	23		21		21		21		21		26	-1	18		19	-1	19		18	-1	207	20.7

Paraclete XP8 - France - Russia Tanay - Qatar Falcons at the FAI Indoor World Meet 2019

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The young French team was still so close that they were even able to steal the indoor world record from the U.S. teams in Round 6. The Golden Knights had posted a 43-pointer first time at the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship 2014, and Paraclete XP8 tied it at the Paraclete indoor meet this year in February.

XP8 tied it once again in Round 6 at the indoor world meet, and Russia's 8-way team from Tanay almost posted a 43-pointer, as well. XP8 could have finished with 45 points but lost two points after infringements. Martial Ferre and his seven youngsters had completed 46 points, just before XP8 entered the flying chamber, and then lost three points. However, the 44 points were still enough to claim the new 8-way world record.

The indoor world meet at Weembi Lille was still the end of the road for this French 8-way lineup. Damien Gouriou, Aurelien Lemaire, Kevin Mansion and Alban Rumolo will continue in 8-way and train lightly as the French 4-way team, as well. Gaelle Giesen will also continue as a member of the French 8-way outdoor lineup, after joining the French national team in 4-way Women. Aerodyne Weembi are the second half of the 8-way outdoor team.

Pamela Lissajoux, Martial Ferre and Charles Rommel will go back to what they did before training for the indoor world meet.

Round 10 in 8-way Open at the FAI Indoor World Meet 2019FAI Indoor

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Paraclete XP8's lineup will change, as well. JaNette and Steve Lefkowitz want to focus only on their SDC Rhythm XP project, while Andrew Happick tries to manage training and competition in both events. Michelle Karamon and Jeana Billings also continue in 8-way with XP8 and in 4-way with Ranch 2nd Generation.

Kirk Verner and John D'Annunzio are prepared for the XP8 lineup changes. Multiple Golden Knights 8-way world champion Matt Davidson is ready to take one of the open slots and join his former team mate in the U.S. Army, Brian Krause. Airspeed 4-way world champion of 2012, Josh Hall, will complete the lineup.

He is not new to the XP8 lineup at all after several random meets in the past. In fact, he was also in the lineup that won the 8-way gold medals at the USPA Nationals 2018, and he will try to defend the title for XP8 this year.

Only the teams in 3rd and 4th place, Russia Tanay and Qatar Falcons, plan to continue with the same lineups. Tanay managed once again to hold off the charging Qatar Falcons, and both teams keep moving closer to the world's top level in 8-way competition. There is a very good chance that the same four 8-way teams will all compete for gold medals next year in Tanay, Russia...