posted Dec 4th, 2003 - The NSL News published an interview with Sinapsi PD from the archives on July 1st. In the preparations for the FAI World Meet 2003 the Italian national team of 2000 - 2010 was in DeLand for an early training camp.

They were back at the end of the year and after competing at the FAI World Meet 2003, and the NSL News met the team again on December 4th, 2003:

"While the NSL NEWS still has more follow-up stories of SkyQuest 2003 on the agenda, the Italian national 4-way team, Sinapsi PD, has already resumed their training for the 2004 season. Sinapsi PD finished their impressive 2003 season at SkyQuest in November, took a short break and then began with their preparations for the 2004 season with the same lineup at Skydive DeLand.

The NSL NEWS used the opportunity of this training camp to interview the Italian team before their departure to Europe for the Christmas holidays. Sinapsi PD will return to Florida in January and compete at the FSL Shamrock Showdown 2004 in March."

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NSL News interview with Sinapsi PD on 4 December 2003

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NSL NEWS: Last time, the NSL NEWS spoke with Sinapsi at the beginning of the 2003 season. Are you happy with this year? LUCA MARCHIORO: Yes, we are happy. We wanted to take a medal at the world meet, but the season has been really good. We made a big average, a new standard for us. And we missed only some experience to make a better competition in Gap. At the end of the season, we can be happy.

MARCO ARRIGO: We had a very stressful last part of training, and we came tired to the World Meet. We had a bad competition because we were so tired, and we did not focus very well on each single jump. Anyway, we are happy about the work we did during the whole season.

NSL NEWS: Let’s talk about the world meet competition. What was in Sinapsi's way to a medal in France? ARIANNA DE BENEDETTI: We did too many mistakes, due to lack of experience. We could not do a good competition throughout the whole meet. LUCA MARCHIORO: We were not at our best in September. Maybe a different timing would have had been better for us. We were better in June, July. We made mistakes in the scheduling, maybe.

NSL NEWS: What did you think about the cut after nine rounds in Gap? (everybody is laughing) ARIANNA DE BENEDETTI: There was big confusion. All the competitors thought that it was an unfair rule. And it might be changed next year. The judges wanted to change it, and there was a chance. Then they changed their mind; that was it.

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FAI World Meet 2003			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		1,11,12	M,J,E,10	K,16,6	13,14,5	D,22,4	9,C,Q,N	F,19,21	2,20,L	18,B,3	8,P,7	Total	Avg
1	Maubeuge	FR	16	26	23	19	21	37	24	21	19	23	229	22.9
2	Golden Knights	US	17	24	22	19	18	35	22	18	19	20	214	21.4
3	DeLand Norgies	NO	13	24	21	19	18	36	19	16	19	21	206	20.6
4	Sebastian XL	UK	14	22	21	19	17	34	21	18	19	20	205	20.5
5	Sinapsi PD	IT	13	24	22	17	17	32	22	18	18	-	183	20.3
6	Endeavour	CH	13	21	19	15	17	29	21	17	16	-	168	18.7
7	NMPV	BE	15	19	19	16	15	29	19	16	16	-	164	18.2
8	EADS	DE	14	19	17	15	15	26	17	16	16	-	155	17.2

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NSL NEWS: Were you mad or angry? ARIANNA DE BENEDETTI: No, we were not. We knew it, and we were okay with it. We were just disappointed when they opened the door and closed it again when changing the mind. MARCO ARRIGO: We were sad after the competition since some people told us that we could make the finals, some said we could not according to the rules. It was confusing and left some emotions.

NSL NEWS: After the world meet, Sinapsi did not know if the team would continue. Sinapsi is now training again, does this mean that you have big plans for the future? LIVIO PICCOLO: We go day by day. MARCO ARRIGO: Of course, if we are training we trust in a new goal ahead of us.

LUCA MARCHIORO: We started training from the tailgate. We try some new solutions and ways. We don't want to do our best too early in the season. We did not jump too much during this camp. We will be back again in January and March. We are recently working on our technical problems.

NSL NEWS: What does this mean specifically? LUCA MARCHIORO: We think we understand the reasons why we lost the medals in Gap, and technical problems were a part of that. Some blocks need work. NSL NEWS: You just competed with Majik in this training camp. How did that go? Can you keep up with the new U.S. team? Did you already win some rounds? LUCA MARCHIORO: The new U.S. team is not a new team. It is a very experienced team. We have confidence and we are very strong in certain areas. We lost here in DeLand now. One round was tied, one round we lost with too many brainlocks.

Leaderboard of the NSL Championship at SkyQuest 2003 in November

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NSL NEWS: You also competed with Majik at Fantasy of Flight two weeks ago. Thanks for attending the meet. How was the competition with the DeLand team there? ARIANNA DE BENEDETTI: It was very bad for us. We lost by 20 points. It was the first time that we jumped after Gap. We had a great time finishing the season. But we were tired. Mentally we were not really there. But we made one or two good jumps.

LUCA MARCHIORO: It was the last competition of the year. We were not ready for a strong meet. NSL NEWS: Arianna, you jumped with Optic Curvaceous at the same time. How was it skydiving with your team mates Lise and Eliana? ARIANNA DE BENEDETTI: It was very much fun. We really had a good time. I was happy that I had the chance to jump with them.

NSL NEWS: What do you know about the other top teams, like France, Norway, UK for 2004? MARCO ARRIGO: I don't care about the other teams at this point. We have to begin a new season and focus only on our own progression first. It is too early to think about the other teams. ARIANNA DE BENEDETTI: France is the same team. Norway has a new team, as everybody knows. Nobody knows about the Brits.

NSL NEWS: You saw the French team in Gap. Can anybody beat the French team if they stay together? MARCO ARRIGO: France had a great competition in France and they have been together for a long time. They have a lot of experience. However, I want to believe that it could be possible.

LUCA MARCHIORO: We don't know how much they will train. But it is difficult for everybody. LIVIO PICCOLO: They have a great organization, a great federation, and – most of all - they are great skydivers. NSL NEWS: Can Sinapsi win next year, can you beat this French team? MARCO ARRIGO: With all respect to the French team – yes. LUCA MARCHIORO: They are the favorite, no doubt. They know the tailgate very well. The same team already jumped the tailgate in Spain in 2001.

NSL NEWS: Are they even better from the ramp? MARCO ARRIGO: everybody said that the average from a Porter would be lower than from other planes. But it was wrong. France scored the highest average ever. I don't know. ARIANNA DE BENEDETTI: They scored already so well at this year's meet. The switch to the tailgate will be to their advantage. They may also not compete in 8-way this time, which would be less pressure for them and easier.

NSL NEWS: Have you been in touch with the French team? ARIANNA DE BENEDETTI: No. NSL NEWS: You spent a lot of time in Florida, do you miss Italy? EVERYBODY: Yes, yes, yes. ARIANNA DE BENEDETTI: Not that we don't like Florida. But mentally it is a lot for traveling and being away from home. The longer we stay, the more we really look forward to going back home and relax and do other things than skydiving.

NSL NEWS: Like what? ARIANNA DE BENEDETTI: Everything else. LUCA MARCHIORO: We also work a lot in the tunnel here. And we use Italy for our holiday. NSL NEWS: When is the next holiday in Italy coming up? LIVIO PICCOLO: Next week. And we will spend more summer time in Italy, as well.

NSL NEWS: Do you have a tailgate in Italy? LUCA MARCHIORO: Yes, there is one plane that flies mostly on the weekends only. It will be difficult. We will probably travel to Russia, France and Florida for more tailgate training. ARIANNA DE BENEDETTI: We have been working very hard in the last two years. It is kind of hard to find the motivation and energy again. It will be a great challenge for us to have another good season and keep improving. It is difficult to improve at this level. It will take great efforts to become better.

NSL NEWS: Do you think that the average will still go up or level out? ARIANNA DE BENEDETTI: In the last two years, it has always gone up. Now it is hard to say how much it will go up for us. Logically, we have to think that we will improve. NSL NEWS: What about the top average? ARIANNA DE BENEDETTI: Every year, we say it is hard. And it still increases. Nobody has ever scored as high at a world meet as the French team did. It is hard to say.

MARCO ARRIGO: The average depends on a lot of factors. To score an average as the French team did in Gap, you have to put together all these factors. If you analyze their competition, they still did some mistakes. Thus, it surely is always possible to improve even the best average. So, what is the limit???

NSL NEWS: Thanks for the interview, enjoy your vacation at home, and see you back here in January.