posted Oct 10th, 2019 - The Fun Flag had its first showing during the opening ceremony of the FAI Outdoor World Cup, as the NSL News reported yesterday. The Norwegian VFS team Blue Pelican had shown it during the opening ceremony on Monday and then kept it hidden on Tuesday.

They received the yellow card for the violation of the Fun Flag rules, even though team member Derek Nordlund Broughton said that his team simply forgot to bring the flag to Skydive Arizona in the morning. However, Blue Pelican followed up, and they were on their way to letting it fly again on Wednesday when the next party took possession of it.

It was VFS home team Arizona X Force who were able to grab the Fun Flag on Wednesday. They wasted no time getting it back up again, and they picked a spot where every competitor could take a look at it with enough attention.

Arizona X Force is also dealing with a special situation, which has brought double duties in a different way to one of the team members. Brianne Thompson is competing in 4-way Women at the same time filling an open slot for Phoenix XP. There are several double duties between the 4-way and 8-way events, while Brianne Thompson is the only competitor who switches back and forth between 4-way Women and 4-way VFS.

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New Fun Flag adventure on Wednesday

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This has happened only once at a world meet when Canada's national team Evolution competed at the FAI World Meet 2014 in Prostejov. The three Lemay brothers Martin, Vincent and Benoit teamed up with Jean-Christophe Ouimet in 4-way VFS and with Katie Woods in 4-way Open. Jean-Sebastien Vadeboncoeur was filming both lineups, and they won bronze medals in both events.

Brianne Thompson could copy the special double duties achievement with two bronze medals. The first one in 4-way VFS seems to be secured, as Arizona X Force is 19 points ahead of Blue Pelican after Round 9. It will be more challenging in 4-way Women where the German team Skynamite was tied with Phoenix XP after Round 5.

Both teams have substitutes in their lineups, who are both experienced 4-way competitors. Oceanside AtomiX member Andrea Kleinschmidt replaces injured Janine Tillenburg. Brianne Thompson trained and competed with Elsinore/Fastrax Select in 2006, including the FAI Outdoor World Meet 2006 in Germany. She continued with Fastrax Blue and competed again in 4-way Women at the world meet in Maubeuge 2008, then again with Spaceland Blue in Menzelinsk 2010.

The other three Phoenix XP members in Eloy (Christine Bruchac, Lauren Byrd, Megan George) competed together for Phoenix XP at the FAI World Meet 2018 in Australia. Germany's Skynamite need a strong performance to win the bronze medals...

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FAI Outdoor World Cup 2019			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		11		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Women		13,11,16		P,22,4		O,7,21		9,20,G		18,15,L		K,10,3		6,14,C		1,M,A,17		F,D,Q,8		2,5,E		B,N,12,H		Total	Avg
1	Aerodyne Weembi Girls	FR	17		19		25		20		20		19		-		-		-		-		-		120	20.0
2	NFTO	UK	17		17		23		19	-1	17		17		-		-		-		-		-		110	18.3
3	Phoenix XP	US	13		13		17		14		13		-		-		-		-		-		-		70	14.0
3	Skynamite	DE	13		12		18		16		11	-2	13		-		-		-		-		-		83	13.8
5	Fly Girls	US	11		11		15	-1	14		11		12		-		-		-		-		-		74	12.3
6	Victorious Secret	US	9		11	-1	14		10		11		11		-		-		-		-		-		66	11.0
7	Alola	UK	9	-1	10	-2	13		10	-1	9	-1	9	-1	-		-		-		-		-		60	10.0

Video Footage Courtesy of FAI/IPC/OmniSkore!HD

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FAI Outdoor World Cup 2019			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way VFS		13,11,16	P,22,4	O,7,21	9,20,G	18,15,L	K,10,3	6,14,C	1,M,A,17	F,D,Q,8	2,5,E	B,N,12,H	Total	Avg
1	SDC Core	US	21	21	22	15	12	17	17	20	23	-	-	168	18.7
2	Vertical Flystation	RU	18	18	21	13	15	16	18	15	20	-	-	154	17.1
3	Arizona X-Force	US	18	20	18	13	14	17	13	16	16	-	-	145	16.1
4	Blue Pelican	NO	17	16	16	14	10	14	13	12	14	-	-	126	14.0
5	Arizona Anthem	US	13	13	14	10	10	16	14	14	14	-	-	118	13.1
6	Kwansta Kwattro	SE	14	12	13	10	10	12	12	11	9	-	-	103	11.4

Video Footage Courtesy of FAI/IPC/OmniSkore!HD

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