posted Feb 3rd, 2024 - The competition for the potentially open 8-way bronze medal position at the 26th FAI World Formation Skydiving Championships 2024 in North Carolina has already begun, even long before the team registration for the event will be completed.

The NSL News reported on 6 December 2023 that the 8-way situation in Germany was still in motion. The Airbus 8-way team, in 2nd place behind Operation Adler at the end of the German national outdoor championship 2023, had resumed with indoor training at that time, with a plan for roughly 12 hours of tunnel time and 200 - 250 training jumps in 2024, while Operation Adler was the national 8-way team, according to the German qualification rules for world championships. Airbus 8 were hoping that there would still be a chance to compete for Germany at the world championship, as Operation Adler seemed to be only a very strong pickup team for the national outdoor championship.

The next update on 20 December 2023 brought some more light into the 8-way picture in Germany by relating to the international situation in 8-way competition. Airbus 8 had won the first set of FAI medals in Formation Skydiving competition history for Germany at the 25th FAI World Formation Skydiving Championships 2022, and there seemed to be a realistic chance that both German 8-way teams, Operation Adler and Airbus 8, could be strong enough to defend the bronze medals successfully at the next world championship. Airbus 8 could not expect to be sanctioned as the national 8-way team for the event at Coastal Carolina in October this year, as the NSL News reported on January 16th. Their participation would depend on the level of Operation Adler's motivation to compete for new bronze medals.

FAI Outdoor World Meet 2022			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	8-way Open		20,16,B		P,D,21,13		17,K,11		E,A,19,22		2,9,M		C,14,F,12		3,6,18		4,10,1		8,Q,O,H		5,7,J		Total	Avg
1	Paraclete XP8	US	25	-1	20		20	-1	18	-1	18		19	-1	23		26	-1	16	-2	20	-2	205	20.5
2	Qatar Falcons	QA	21	-1	14	-2	16	-1	17		16		15	-1	19	-1	20	-1	14	-1	12	-4	164	16.4
3	Airbus	DE	18		14		14		13		4	-1	12	-2	16		16		12		14		133	13.3
4	MicroClim8	UK	16		9	-2	12		10		11	-1	7	-3	15		16		11		12	-1	119	11.9
5	Mojo Annecy-Clermont	FR	15		10		11		10		11		10	-1	8	-5	13		9		10		107	10.7

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Airbus (Germany) - MicroClim8 (Great Britain) - Mojo (France) at the FAI World Championsip 2022, Video Footage Courtesy of FAI/OmniSkore!HD

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The same update from Germany mentioned that Operation Adler eventually decided to offer Airbus a second chance. The team members of the national 8-way champion team agreed that the best German 8-way team should try to defend the FAI bronze medals successfully at the world championship. Operation Adler informed Airbus 8 that they would agree with a new and final qualification at the national championship in September 2024, a good month before the world championship.

The NSL News picked up the story line once again on January 18th to continue the closer look at the international situation in 8-way competition. It seemed like not much had changed since the previous international update. However, another closer look at previous world championships and world cups could lead to the conclusion that the battle for bronze medals might be more challenging in North Carolina than it was in Eloy 2022.

Airbus won the FAI 8-way bronze medals with a 13.3 average, which was matched by Operation Adler at the German national outdoor championship without much training at all. Airbus finished with 12.1 and both results would not have been enough to outscore British team MicroClim8 or Australian team JYR8 in Australia 2018. The French 8-way team Mojo could be expected to perform on a similar scoring level, as well. However, both German 8-way teams will at least be medal contenders this year, unless Russia will be permitted again to compete at FAI world championship and world cups.

FAI World Meet 2018			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	8-way Open		21,L,B,G	22,18,17	19,7,O	J,16,12	10,A,D,15	Q,M,F,C,N	H,20,P,13	6,14,11	E,2,5	4,1,3	Total	Avg
1	Golden Knights	US	24	21	18	24	19	29	21	18	17	33	224	22.4
2	Tanay	RU	21	21	17	22	20	28	16	18	18	28	209	20.9
3	Qatar Falcons	QA	19	16	15	18	14	21	16	14	14	23	170	17.0
4	MicroClim8	UK	17	15	12	14	15	21	15	12	13	18	152	15.2
5	JYR8	AU	14	14	13	17	11	20	14	14	12	21	150	15.0
6	Airbus	DE	13	15	9	15	11	16	12	12	10	16	129	12.9
7	Brazil	BR	11	10	9	12	9	12	9	10	9	16	107	10.7

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MicroClim8 (Great Britain) - JYR8 (Australia) Airbus (Germany) at the FAI World Championsip 2018, Video Footage Courtesy of FAI/InTime

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Operation Adler's offer to make the final selection at this year's national championship was eventually accepted by the Airbus 8-way team. The suggestion would still have to be approved by the German national coach and the skydiving federation (DFV).

Former 4-way and 8-way competitor Robert Troegele is Germany's current national coach in Formation Skydiving competition. He operates the Paranodon Skydiving Center in Illertissen, where he has been running a 4-way development project that has even generated members of the current national teams. As a former competitor, he is in full agreement with the proposal that Operation Adler and Airbus 8 have agreed on, as he also wants the best team to compete for Germany and the potential FAI medals in reach.

The German skydiving federation still has the final word, even though they usually follow the guidance by the national coach and his considerations. The German Formation Skydiving Commission of the federation has scheduled the related meeting for next month, which will be the time when the next and even more exciting 8-way showdown between Operation Adler and Airbus will be officially confirmed. The winner will most likely compete for the 8-way bronze medals in North Carolina. Airbus 4-way member Thomas Mack, also 8-way competitor for Operation Adler, who would be facing 4-way and 8-way double duties with other members of his 4-way team at the world championship, confirmed that there will be a strong German 8-way team at Coastal Carolina, one way or another. He is in agreement with national coach Robert Troegele, and the hosts, Paraclete XP and Skydive Chicago, will be glad to hear that.