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It took NMP PCH HayaBusa eight years after Sven Ibens’ retirement from high-intensity training and competition until the 2012 lineup won the first FAI outdoor gold medals for Belgium in Prostejov 2014. They did not let go of the legendary William H. Ottley Sword for the 4-way world champions, also known as the Excalibur, until Arizona Airspeed won in Eloy 2022.
Sven Ibens visited Florida this week in his new position as Vigil's CEO. The NSL News had reported on 29 September 2024 that he had concluded his competitive 4-way career. The update included NSL Live Talk on the Zoom internet platform where he provided more background information and the reasons for the change in his professional career. He was on work duty when he visited Florida this week, where the PIA Symposium took place in Daytona Beach. It was the next opportunity for real NSL Live Talk in the Ocean Convention Center, which was hosting the PIA Symposium.
Spa HayaBusa were in their third year with the first lineup (Sven Ibens, Roy Janssen, Andy and David Grauwels, Bruno van den Eede on camera) when they trained in DeLand and competed at the Shamrock Showdown 2005. The same lineup attended their second outdoor world championship in Gera 2006 after their first world meet experiences in Rijeka 2004.
Spa Hayabusa finished in 6th place at both world championships despite increasing their scoring average from 17.8 in Croatia to 20.4 in Germany. That's when Sven Ibens decided to step back, while Roy Janssen, Andy and David Grauwels joined the Belgian military forces to go full time and become 4-way world champions. Sven Ibens was far from being done with Formation Skydiving competition, even though he did not continue with NMP PCH HayaBusa. He was just as passionate for the sport as he was before, and it did not take very long until he recruited his next team to continue on the recreational competition level.
USPA Nationals 2017 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Total | Avg | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rank | 8-way Open | G,22,1 | 9,6,2 | D,7,17 | 8,J,C,K | Q,B,14,20 | 19,15,4 | A,10,13 | 12,M,N,P | H,O,3,16 | 5,21,11 | Total | Avg | |
1 | Golden Knights | US | 22 | 17 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 21 | 28 | 17 | 202 | 20.2 |
G | Fly-In Machine 44 | BE | 23 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 21 | 16 | 20 | 26 | 15 | 185 | 18.5 |
G | Qatar Falcons | QA | 16 | 12 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 20 | 13 | 149 | 14.9 |
2 | Arizona Airspeed | US | 17 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 18 | 13 | 147 | 14.7 |
G | Amphibious Attack Tigers | US | 18 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 18 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 11 | 140 | 14.0 |
6 | SDC Rhythm XP8 | US | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 127 | 12.7 |
7 | Paraclete XP8 | US | 13 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 10 | 118 | 11.8 |
8 | Spaceland Gummies 8 | US | 11 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 97 | 9.7 |
G | Perris Spider Pigs | US | 5 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 55 | 5.5 |
They brought the unofficial amateur scoring to the highest level at all events where the lineup with team members from two different nations were accepted. The duel with the Russian team Sportloto was one of the regular challenges for Thunder.
Sven Ibens still moved on and formed a new Belgian team, ISR FireFlash, in 2017 (Wesley Claessens, Sven Ibens, Glenn Straeluyc, Maya Van Campenhout, Grim Swinnen still on camera), who soon became one of the strongest amateur teams in the world, as well. ISR FireFlash then joined forces with the new NMP PCH HayaBusa lineup for the Fly-In Machine 44 8-way team, who took the 2nd place as a guest team behind the Golden Knights at the USPA Nationals 2017. Sven Ibens said during the NSL Live Talk that he is now encouraging his son Siem (18) to pursue similar goals that he had, and he works on putting together a new 8-way team, including his wife Annelies Hasewinkel-Ibens and his son Siem Ibens, who collected his first 4-way experiences with Family Flash and Falco.
World Challenge 2015 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Total | Avg | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rank | AAA Class | 15,K,E,F | 11,22,A | 16,H,M,19 | 3,10,D | 17,18,P | 4,12,O | 5,N,L,G | 14,B,C,20 | 2,1,21 | J,Q,6,13 | Total | Avg | |
5 | Thunder ISR | BE | 35 | 21 | 29 | 23 | 27 | 21 | 28 | 24 | 22 | 27 | 257 | 25.7 |
6 | SportLoto | RU | 36 | 23 | 30 | 21 | 24 | 21 | 32 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 254 | 25.4 |
World Challenge 2014 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Total | Avg | ||
Rank | AAA Class | 17,18,19 | 5,16,6 | 4,N,13 | P,F,12,M | J,D,10,K | G,3,O,C | H,22,14 | 20,2,8 | 1,21,11 | 15,7,L | Total | Avg | |
5 | SportLoto | RU | 24 | 26 | 20 | 30 | 21 | 30 | 24 | 21 | 20 | 27 | 243 | 24.3 |
6 | Thunder ISR | BE | 20 | 24 | 21 | 30 | 27 | 27 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 29 | 241 | 24.1 |
World Challenge 2013 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Total | Avg | ||
Rank | AAA Class | O,E,J,K,3 | M,Q,A,14 | 4,6,16 | 8,18,N | H,19,12 | 2,7,13 | 11,C,P,9 | 15,D,10 | L,F,17,G | 20,1,22 | Total | Avg | |
6 | SportLoto | RU | 35 | 28 | 19 | 23 | 24 | 21 | 30 | 23 | 34 | 20 | 257 | 25.7 |
7 | Thunder ISR | BE | 33 | 32 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 29 | 21 | 31 | 19 | 254 | 25.4 |
FAI Outdoor World Cup 2012 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Total | Avg | ||
Rank | 4-way Open | 1,19,2 | 14,18,15 | N,16,20 | E,6,J,A | C,K,9,13 | F,8,11 | Q,22,L,21 | B,17,H,P | 12,D,O,4 | G,10,7 | Total | Avg | |
2 | ISR Thunder | BE | 20 | 17 | 20 | 24 | 27 | 20 | 20 | 31 | 20 | 19 | 218 | 21.8 |
3 | SportLoto | RU | 16 | 17 | 21 | 29 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 31 | 19 | 20 | 212 | 21.2 |