posted Oct 29th, 2024 - The NSL News has called the most successful nations in Formation Skydiving competition the "powerhouses" of the sport regularly in the past. This terminology was usually related to three countries (United States, France, Russia) until Belgium joined the club, at least in 4-way Open, with NMP PCH HayaBusa.

The same terminology appeared increasingly in the last four years when the next country began to place their national teams in the top rankings of the world championship leaderboards. In fact, teams from Qatar have won FAI medals at each of the last three events (2021/2022/2024), and the country has earned the status of the next powerhouse in Formation Skydiving competition.

It seems to be more than a Qatar hay fire. Other countries have also generated world class teams here and there in the history of Formation Skydiving competition since 1985. However, only the powerhouses have shown consistency in sending medal contenders to the world championships. Other countries have still shown similar consistency, as well, when they compete for the unofficial top spot in the "amateur" rankings behind the full-time medal contenders.

It is more than a hay fire in Qatar, as the country's Formation Skydiving delegation keeps providing more and more evidence that the teams are here to stay in the medal area of the 4-way and 8-way leaderboards. The NSL News recently covered the 4-way teams behind the medal-winning Falcons and Tigers, who are supposed to fill any open slots when members of the national teams retire. The project is state-sponsored, which guarantees the resources for this consistency.

FAI Outdoor World Championship 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
Rank	4-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	Arizona Airspeed	US	21	-1	28		27		27		31		23		21		20		32		31		261	26.1
2	NMP-PCH Hayabusa	BE	20	-1	25	-2	21		23		28		20	-2	19		17		29		26		228	22.8
3	Qatar Tigers	QA	19	-2	23	-1	22	-1	21	-1	26		18		17	-1	17		28		28		219	21.9

---

25th FAI World Formation Skydiving Championships: Qatar Falcons - Qatar Tigers, Video Footage Courtesy of FAI/ISC/Omniskore

---

8-way medal winners at FAI world championships since 1985

---

The Tigers 4-way team won the first medals for Qatar with the 3rd place in Tanay 2021 under the guidance of coach Gary Smith, and they defended the bronze medals successfully in Eloy 2022. They had to defeat the French national teams in 4-way Open at both events to get to a medal position.

They defended their bronze medals again successfully with new coach Andy Grauwels at Crystal Coast this month, where they had to outscore NMP PCH HayaBusa this time. The consistency of the Tigers lineup in the past decade of 4-way competition allowed the Qatar team to finish ahead of the two other powerhouses who were going through changes in their lineups.

Qatar's 8-way team, the Falcons, can look back at a similar consistency in the lineup since they became a medal contender in the other traditional horizontal Formation Skydiving event. Gary Smith also guided Qatar's 8-way team to their first FAI medals in Australia 2018 before he and Jeremie Rollett swapped their coaching assignments. The Falcons were not ready to keep up with the three 8-way powerhouses from the United States, France and Russia in Tanay 2021, even though they finished with their highest meet average by then. France was back with a strong 8-way team after missing Australia 2018, which even challenged the U.S. 8-way team for the gold medals.

FAI Outdoor World Championship 2024			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	8-way Open		14,G,13		J,C,17,12		D,A,21,P		18,B,H,F		E,L,O,8		22,2,K		6,7,16		9,20,15		3,M,N,4		5,1,10		Total	Avg
1	GKXP8	US	19	-1	21	-1	22		26		21	-1	21	-1	25		24		37		23		239	23.9
2	Qatar Falcons	QA	16		18		19		21		17		16	-1	20		19		25	-2	19		190	19.0
3	Operation Adler	DE	14		14		11	-2	13	-1	13		14		15		14		20	-2	15		143	14.3
Rank	4-way Open		14,G,13		J,C,17,12		D,A,21,P		18,B,H,F		E,L,O,8		22,2,K		6,7,16		9,20,15		3,M,N,4		5,1,10		Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	US	24		27	-1	33		36		31		23		26		26		25		22	-1	273	27.3
2	Aethers	FR	22		23	-4	33		32	-1	29		23		22		21		25		22		252	25.2
3	Qatar Tigers	QA	21		20	-3	26	-2	32		29	-1	20		21		20		19	-2	20		228	22.8

---

26th FAI World Formation Skydiving Championships: Qatar Falcons - Qatar Tigers, Video Footage Courtesy of FAI/ISC/InTime

---

Russia did not participate at FAI events any longer after the world championship on home turf in Siberia, and the French federation has not supported a national 8-way team for the participation at world championships since the 2nd place in August 2021. French 8-way team Mojo Annecy-Clermont represented France in Eloy 2022, and the 8-way door was open again for the Qatar Falcons.

It was not only the bronze medal position that was available for the Falcons in Eloy 2022. The absence of a Russian 8-way team and Mojo's recreational 8-way lineup even offered the 2nd place for the Qatar delegation. Jeremie Rollett eventually won the first FAI silver medals for the new Formation Skydiving powerhouse. The Qatar delegation left Eloy with bronze medals in 4-way and silver medals in 8-way.

Falcons and Tigers both took the same positions on the podium at Crystal Coast, which was the confirmation of the powerhouse status for the Qatar delegation at the same time. It would be too easy assuming that the Falcons only benefited again from the 8-way absence of Russia and France, which does not reflect the growing strength of the Qatar delegation.

The Falcons finished with a 19.0 average at Crystal Coast, and the consistency of the project will most likely lift the performance and scoring level above the 20-average benchmark soon. That's close to the medal level at the times when all powerhouses in the sport were present at world championships. Coach Jeremie Rollett has already moved to Qatar for his part of the 8-way consistency. The Falcons will be ready to defend their silver medals at the next world championship and may aim even higher soon.