posted Sep 20th, 2021 - The NSL News mentioned during the aftermath of the UK Nationals that the German (Airbus 8) and the British (MicroClim8) 8-way national teams would only be able to compare their scores indirectly this year. Both teams had planned to compete at the FAI Tanay Mondial 2020 and withdrew from participating at the event due to the implications of the corona virus crisis.

Both teams have been competing with and against each other at the world meets in 2016 and 2018, and MicroClim8 had the upper hand at both events. Both teams usually compete for the top position behind the 8-way teams of the 8-way powerhouses in the world (United States, France, Russia, Qatar).

MicroClim8 were the first of the two 8-way teams to post their newest scores at the national championships in August. Airbus Illertissen's 8-way lineup followed up a few weeks later. Both teams were as well prepared as the pandemic situation allowed it in both countries. However, they had in common that they were planning to compete at the world meet.

MicroClim8 had at least some kind of opposition with Chimeros, while Airbus has been the only 8-way team in regular training in Germany. In fact, German 8-way teams have mainly been pickup lineups of different 4-way teams at the national championships.

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UK Nationals 2021		1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	8-way Open	N,6,17		16,11,A		18,M,13		J,9,20		22,19,K		12,15,3		C,D,B,21		4,G,7		1,2,P		10,E,L,H		Total	Avg
1	MicroClim8	14		7	-1	12		12		13		14		13		14		12		12		123	12.3
2	Chimeros	11		10	-1	11		11	-1	11		9	-1	7		13		10		7	-2	100	10.0
3	Jacked	7	-1	6	-1	7	-3	6	-1	8		6		6		8	-1	5	-2	7		66	6.6

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MicroClim8 at the UK Outdoor Nationals 2021

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Both teams had similar rounds at their national championships, even though the competition draws were very different. Each had a bad round with unusual occurrences. Airbus started into the competition with a real exit funnel, which was costly. The faster sequence still allowed them to get to a 13-pointer, which matched all their other scores in the four rounds.

The British 8-way teams completed all ten rounds, and MicroClim8 had their own trauma early in the meet. It was Round 2 when a serious accident happened in Block 16, one of the fastest blocks in the 8-way dive pool. MicroClim8 could not recover quickly enough in this round, and Chimeros stole the highscore for the round.

Both teams won again in their respective countries, and there is hardly a doubt that they will compete again at the next world meet. However, the lineups are never guaranteed for the next year, and there could be changes, as they have happened regularly in the past.

The competition season, especially in 8-way, is usually over after national championships and world meets or world cups. Teams often take a break and then discuss the near future, which will be the next world meet year in 2022.

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German Outdoor Nationals 2021		1		2		3		4		Total	Avg
Rank	8-way Open	3,2,1		11,22,8		20,H,19		12,B,6		Total	Avg
1	Airbus Illertissen	13		13		13		13	-1	52	13.0
2	Paranodon Bus Illertissen	7	-1	5		7		-		19	6.3
3	Sudwest	2		7		8		-		17	5.7
4	Bazinga macht KO's	3		2	-3	4	-1	4	-1	13	3.3

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Airbus 8 at the German Outdoor Nationals 2021

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The situation for Airbus in Germany could become more complicated after the national championships. Airbus members actually won in three different events: 8-way, 4-way Open and 4-way Women.

The Airbus 4-way team won the challenging duel with the defending champions of Oceanside AtomiX, and 8-way member Alex Prendinger has been a 4-way team member since the new Airbus 4-way lineup was put together. He has been the only competitor with double-duties in the history of this lineup. His 8-way team mates competed in 4-way at the same event, too. However, it was just the next Bardarbunga pickup team with no plans for the future.

Alex Prendinger won his next set of two gold medals, as he had done first time at the German Outdoor Nationals 2019. He was ready to compete in both events at the FAI Tanay Mondial 2020, as well, after Oceanside AtomiX withdrew from the event and Airbus agreed to replace them in 4-way Open.

It's different this time, as his 8-way team mate Linda Koeb also won another event. She defeated the previous German national team in 4-way Women, Skynamite, with her new 4-way team Meltemi Illertissen, and she is qualified to compete at the next world meet, as well. There is some serious planning to do in Germany...

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UK Nationals 2021		1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	8-way Open	N,6,17		16,11,A		18,M,13		J,9,20		22,19,K		12,15,3		C,D,B,21		4,G,7		1,2,P		10,E,L,H		Total	Avg
1	MicroClim8	14		7	-1	12		12		13		14		13		14		12		12		123	12.3
German Outdoor Nationals 2021		1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	8-way Open	3,2,1		11,22,8		20,H,19		12,B,6		-		-		-		-		-		-		Total	Avg
1	Airbus Illertissen	13		13		13		13	-1	-		-		-		-		-		-		52	13.0

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