posted Oct 21st, 2019 - The British delegation at the FAI Outdoor World Cup was the largest one behind the host nation, the United States. Six British teams were registered for the traditional Formation Skydiving events (4-way Open - 8-way Open - 4-way Women). France was the only other nation with teams in the same three events, while it was logistically much easier with the French 8-way team fielding the two French 4-way teams at the same time.

The U.S. delegation consisted of a total of 11 teams for the three events, and three additional teams competed in 4-way VFS. The U.S. delegation collected a total of seven sets of FAI medals, including gold in 4-way Open and 4-way VFS. The British delegation took back the silver medals that NFTO won in 4-way Women. The three French teams won gold in 4-way Women and silver in 8-way Open.

The British teams all got their re-matches at the world cup, after completing this year's national championship in August. Unlike Arizona Airspeed over SDC Rhythm XP, no British team was able to turn the outcome of the UK Nationals. The internal rankings of the British teams in Eloy were identical with the placings in August.

It was extraordinary that some of the British teams even matched exactly their meet averages at both events. NFTO and Chimera both posted 19.3 - 18.7 at the UK Nationals and at the FAI World Cup, 8-way team Groomed finished two times with an 8.8 average. The other British 4-way teams scored lower at the world cup.

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FAI Outdoor World Cup 2019			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open/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		Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	US	20	-1	22		28		29		21		21	-1	21	-2	29		31	-2	24	-2	246	24.6
2	SDC Rhythm XP	US	19	-1	22		25		21	-2	20	-1	20		23		25		29	-1	24	-2	228	22.8
3	Aerodyne Weembi Girls	FR	17		19		25		20		20		19		20		23		25	-1	21		209	20.9
4	Airspeed Odyssey	US	14	-2	17	-2	22	-2	21	-2	18	-1	16	-3	21		23		26	-3	17	-2	195	19.5
5	NFTO	UK	17		17		23		19	-1	17		17		19		21		23	-1	20		193	19.3
6	Defiance	US	17		17		21	-1	22		16	-2	15	-2	21		20	-2	26		16	-2	191	19.1
7	Aerodyne Cypres Lille-Bondues	FR	15	-1	16		19		21		16	-1	17		18		22		25		21		190	19.0
8	Echochamber	SE	17		14	-3	22		20	-3	17		16	-1	19		20		23	-1	21		189	18.9
9	Chimera	UK	14	-1	16	-1	21		19	-1	17		16	-1	18	-1	22		26	-1	18	-1	187	18.7
10	Pro Team	FI	15	-1	18		20		17	-1	17		15		18		21		26		18	-1	185	18.5
11	Kinetix	AU	14	-1	17		19		19		15	-1	17		18		19		23	-1	16		177	17.7
12	China	CN	12	-1	17		19		17	-1	14	-1	13	-1	16		20		24		15	-1	167	16.7
13	Eros	UK	12	-2	16		20		18		15	-1	13	-2	12	-4	17	-1	22		16	-1	161	16.1
14	eX3MO	IT	13		13	-2	17	-2	13	-4	12	-1	14		13		16	-1	22	-2	14		147	14.7
15	Phoenix XP	US	13		13		17		14		13		12	-1	14		17		18	-1	14		145	14.5
16	Skynamite	DE	13		12		18		16		11	-2	13		13		15	-1	16	-3	16		143	14.3
17	Pajama Pumas	UK	10	-2	12		17		14	-1	13		12		15		16		15	-2	13		137	13.7
18	Fly Girls	US	11		11	-1	15	-1	14		11		12		13		14	-1	16		12		129	12.9
19	Victorious Secret	US	9		11	-1	14		10	-2	11		11		12		16	-1	14		14		122	12.2
20	Alola	UK	9	-1	10	-2	13		10	-1	9	-1	9	-1	9	-1	12	-1	16		11		108	10.8

Chimera - Eros - Pajama Pumas at the FAI Outdoor World Cup 2019 - Video Footage Courtesy of FAI/IPC/OmniSkore!HD

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Chimera were looking forward to challenging NFTO once again at the re-match in Eloy. They had finished 33 points behind NFTO (16.9 - 20.6) when the 4-way Women team won their first British 4-way Open Class title in 2018. Chimera was much closer a year later in August (18.7 - 19.3) when NFTO defended the British gold medals successfully.

Chimera were hoping to finish ahead of NFTO on the combined AAA Class leaderboard at the world cup, but both teams posted exactly the same total score as at the national championship.

NFTO was not on the same FAI leaderboard with Chimera, as the British Parachute Association had finally registered the team for the 4-way Women competition. NFTO would have been eligible for both FAI events, and they eventually won the silver medals in 4-way Women. Chimera finished in 7th place on the 4-way Open Class leaderboard, where NFTO would have placed 4th, two points behind the FAI bronze medal position.

Eros had finished only two points behind Chimera and eight points behind NFTO at the UK Nationals in August. At the World Cup, Joey Jones' player-coach team did not have enough energy left to threaten the two British top teams once again seriously.

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UK Nationals 2019			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class		2,H,7	17,M,J,4	F,13,A,P	20,15,Q	10,21,1	12,22,C	9,E,11	D,K,L,8	O,18,B,16	6,5,19	Total	Avg
1	NFTO	UK	21	22	28	17	15	15	18	18	20	19	193	19.3
2	Chimera	UK	20	20	26	15	15	13	22	20	17	19	187	18.7
3	Eros	UK	21	20	25	17	15	14	19	19	18	17	185	18.5
4	4mula	UK	19	18	24	16	14	14	19	18	18	15	175	17.5
5	Pajama Pumas	UK	16	17	19	12	11	11	16	16	14	12	144	14.4
6	H40	IE	13	15	17	13	11	10	14	16	11	11	131	13.1
7	Game of Clowns	UK	15	11	17	9	11	10	13	14	11	12	123	12.3
8	Quadriga	UK	13	14	17	7	10	11	14	14	5	11	116	11.6
9	Draconis	UK	11	12	16	8	10	8	16	11	11	11	114	11.4
10	Alola	UK	12	12	17	8	9	8	14	12	12	9	113	11.3
11	Team	UK	13	11	11	7	10	8	12	11	10	10	103	10.3
12	Barely Grown Ups	UK	12	11	14	8	0	8	9	9	0	0	71	7.1
13	Free Burds	IE	0	0	0	0	0	0	9	9	5	7	30	3.0

NFTO - Alola at the FAI Outdoor World Cup 2019 - Video Footage Courtesy of FAI/IPC/OmniSkore!HD

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Alola was the second British team in 4-way Women. The event's starting order would have been interesting if NFTO had registered for the 4-way Open Class. NFTO would have taken Satori XL's slot from Australia 2018 in 4-way Open, pushing Chimera further behind the best teams.

Alola would have replaced NFTO in 4-way Women and shared the jump plane with the French 4-way Women world champions at their first international competition. With NFTO in 4-way Women, Chimera had Satori XL's British slot in the starting order, and Alola was entering the Twin Otters with the first load. The French Weembi Girls and NFTO have been used to be in the same plane since the FAI World Meet 2016.

Alola had actually qualified for the world cup in two ways. They won the AA Class competition at the UK Nationals 2018, which is rewarded with a ticket to the next world cup. As NFTO, they had the opportunity to compete either in 4-way Open or in 4-way Women. There was an open slot in the 4-way Open event, when NFTO signed up for the 4-way Women competition. However, both British teams eventually posted their scores on the 4-way Women leaderboard.

Pajama Pumas would have forwarded the finishing position at the bottom of the 4-way Open Class leaderboard to Alola in a different situation. They still gave Italy's eX3MO a good battle at the team's first FAI meet and were only two points behind after Round 8...