posted Aug 22nd, 2024 - The recent 8-way results from the British Outdoor Nationals confirmed the indications of previous NSL News updates that Germany seems to have a realistic chance to defend the 8-way bronze medals successfully that Airbus Oceanside Illertissen won for the first time at the FAI Outdoor World Championship 2022.

The British 8-way teams used to be some of Germany's toughest 8-way opponents for the rankings behind the medal positions in this world championship category. 8-way teams from the United States, France, Russia and Qatar were in the way for any other national 8-way teams to get to the medal rankings.

This changed after the corona virus crisis when Russia did not participate any longer and France did not send a well trained world class 8-way team to Eloy in 2022. The door was open for a new country to make it to the 8-way podium, as Canada did in 1985 and Italy in 2008.

It was in Dubai 2012 when Germany outscored a British 8-way team last time at a world championship before winning the bronze medals in Eloy 2022. MicroClim8 became the new British national 8-way team after the Brit Chicks had competed in Dubai, and MicroClim8 defeated the German 8-way teams in 2016 and 2018. The 15.2 average in Australia was the highest average at an outdoor world championship for both nations, even though it was still not enough for a medal position.

FAI World Championships 8-way Open			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	Eloy 2022		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
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
Rank	Australia 2018		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
4	MicroClim8	UK	17		15		12		14	-1	15		21		15		12	-2	13		18	-1	152	15.2
6	Airbus	DE	13		15		9	-2	15		11		16		12		12		19		16	-2	129	12.9
Rank	Chicago 2016		12,A,16		18,15,O		1,F,E,C		17,B,14		10,2,20		21,11,G		J,5,19		L,M,K,7		D,8,4		3,13,Q		Total	Avg
5	Microclim8	UK	15		14	-1	16	-1	14		11		13		13		14	-1	13		17		140	14.0
6	Airbus München	DE	16		15		17		11		11		13		12		14		12		15		136	13.6
Rank	Dubai 2012		N,21,B,5		14,C,13		22,M,20		17,H,16		J,E,12,4		7,19,15		G,K,8,2		O,L,F,P,A		10,11,18		9,Q,D,1		Total	Avg
4	EADS 8	DE	14		13		15		15		18		14		14		16		13		16		148	14.8
8	Brit Chicks 8	UK	11		11		12		11		14		10		11		11		6		-		97	10.8

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MicroClim8 - Airbus 8 at the FAI Outdoor World Championship 2018 in Australia

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British 8-way teams at FAI World Championships since 1985

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The Airbus 8-way team eventually needed only the 13.3 average in Eloy to win the FAI bronze medals, as MicroClim8 finished with 11.9 at the team's last competition. Great Britain will be represented by Ap8thy this year at Crystal Coast who just finished tied with Skywars in 1st place after a jump-off round and then lost after the tie-breaking procedure. Ap8thy qualified with their 2nd place after another tie-breaking procedure last year.

The British scoring level is not the same at the moment as it was when MicroClim8 competed for their country at world championships. Ap8thy do not appear to be ready to challenge any of the two German 8-way teams who may represent the country at Crystal Coast. The upcoming German national championship, including the last-minute qualification for the world championship, may realistically become a battle for potential bronze medals at the world championship.

Only Russia, France and Australia had other 8-way medal contenders in the past, and they have not registered teams for this year's event yet. The German duel between Operation Adler and Airbus now offers an even more exciting battle for the one slot in the German delegation for the trip to North Carolina. The 13.3 average that the previous Airbus lineup of 2022 needed to win the bronze medals will probably not be enough to qualify as the national 8-way team in two weeks. Both teams finished around the 13-average level a year ago, and both will be better prepared this year. It could take a 14+ average to win at GoJump in Gransee, which would probably hold off any other potential bronze medal opponents at Crystal Coast, as well.

German 8-way teams at FAI World Championships since 1985

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