posted Jan 16th, 2024 - The NSL News has covered the special 8-way situation in Germany comprehensively, which began with the live updates from the competition site of the German Outdoor Nationals 2023. The aftermath of the 8-way competition began with the update on 6 December 2023, which pointed out that there were still question marks behind the German national 8-way team that would compete for the country at the next world championship.

The next update of the German 8-way aftermath on 20 December 2023 featured the same situation from the international perspective, where Germany is the reigning 8-way bronze medalist. The Airbus 8-way team had won the first FAI world championship medals since 1985 for Germany at the 25th FAI World Formation Skydiving Championships 2022 in Eloy.

It was a well deserved reward for a very consistent participation of German 8-way teams at the most relevant event in the sport. Only the 8-way national teams from the United States, France, Great Britain, Russia and Australia have attended more world championships than Germany. There was only one time (1989) between 1985 and 2008 when Germany missed an 8-way competition, followed by absence at the events in Russia (2010, 2021) and in Prostejov 2014. The Airbus 8-way team was back in action in 2022 and ran into a situation that allowed them to win the 8-way bronze medals.

Participation of German 8-way teams at world championships since 1985

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With the 8-way bronze medals of 2022, Germany has become the 4th country winning a set of 8-way medals behind the United States, France and Russia. Only Canada (1985), Italy (2008), Qatar (2018) accomplished the same in the history of the sport since 1985. All other sets of FAI 8-way medals went to the United States, France, Russia and Qatar.

Qatar has become one of the 8-way and 4-way Open powerhouses in Formation Skydiving competition, while France is currently outside of the medal positions and Russia still banned from participation. There is a very good chance that the next opportunity for a medal position at the 26th FAI World Formation Skydiving Championships 2024 in North Carolina is coming up for Germany, or any other potential opponents from France, Great Britain and Australia.

The situation was not very complicated in Germany before the world championship of 2022. The Airbus 8-way team did not have any serious challenger and won the qualification at the German Outdoor Nationals 2021 by 51 points after seven rounds. Airbus continued with two new team members (Göran Meyer, Jörn Thiele) and won again a year later, once again without any serious challenger. Then it was time for the world championship in Eloy with two more new team members in the lineup (Olaf Biedermann, Max Thiele), and Erik Lorenz on bronze medal camera.

German Outdoor Nationals 2021		1		2		3		4		5		6		7		Total	Avg
Rank	8-way Open	3,2,1		11,22,8		20,H,19		12,B,6		D,4,9		17,16,E		C,4,14,Q		Total	Avg
1	Airbus Oceanside Illertissen	13		13		13		13	-1	16		16		13		97	13.9
2	Paranodon Bus Illertissen	7	-1	5		7		6		6		7		8		46	6.6
3	Sudwest	2		7		8		6		3		9		8		43	6.1
4	Bazinga macht KO's	3		2	-3	4	-1	4	-1	4		2		1		20	2.9

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Airbus 8 at the German Outdoor Nationals 2021

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The Airbus lineup then changed dramatically after the bronze-medal experience in Eloy, as the NSL News reported on 23 January 2023. Without much opposition in the past, team leader Thomas Spielvogel expected to win the national qualification and have two years of training and competition to carefully get the new lineup ready for the next world championship.

However, it turned out to become very different this time at the national championship, as the NSL News reported comprehensively. A very strong and experienced 8-way lineup showed up at the Fallschirmsportzentrum Saar (FSZ), not unexpectedly after an earlier announcement.

Operation Adler did not need much training to be ready for 8-way competition, and the results of the national championship are well known by now. Operation Adler was officially qualified as Germany's national 8-way team, according to the German qualification rules, even though national coach Robert Troegele and the German skydiving federation (DFV) still have to confirm the nomination and register the team for the world championship. The question mark behind the nomination is caused by the two 8-way teams themselves, who have been considering and communicating a new showdown and a new qualification event before the trip of one German 8-way team to North Carolina. Operation Adler decided to offer Airbus a second chance and a final word at the national championship in September, a good month before the world championship. The NSL News will follow up with more information about the new 8-way showdown.

FAI medal winners in 8-way Open since 1985

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