posted Oct 5th, 2009 - The NSL News story on 19 September 2009 reported that the Italian national 4-way team, Real Lazio Sinapsi, won the Italian Nationals 2009 with a new 22.5 record average for the new lineup.

Five of the ten Sinapsi rounds at the FAI World Cup 2009 were already uploaded when the story was posted. The missing videos of Rounds 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 have now been added.

The Italian Nationals 2009 were held two weeks after the World Cup in the Czech Republic, and the competition draw in Italy was faster than the one in Prostejov. Sinapsi followed up on the 21.4 average at the World Cup with the highest score since the 22.8 average of the 2006 lineup at the national championship.

The Sinapsi 2006 lineup had posted its highest 23.9 average at the Shamrock Showdown 2006. This year's 22.5 average is only the three points total behind the record average of 2006.

Two of the original Sinapsi members are still in the lineup, Livio Piccolo (Point) and Luca Marchioro (Center Inside).

They competed with the original Sinapsi lineup (Marco Arrigo and Francesco Tegoni, Luca Poretti on camera) at the World Meet 2001 in Spain and placed 6th with a 15.9 average. Arianna de Benedetti then replaced Francesco Tegoni, and Sinapsi finished in 5th place with a 20.3 average at the World Meet 2003 in France. One year later, the same lineup placed 4th in Croatia with a 21.0 average.

Tail Pete Allum joined the Italian team when Marco Arrigo left the team at the end of the 2004 season. The new Sinapsi lineup posted the 2006 record averages and won 4-way bronze medals for Italy at the World Meet 2006 in Germany with a 22.0 average after six rounds.

Arianna de Benedetti discontinued after the World Meet in Germany, and Sinapsi took a break. The Spin Team represented Italy at the World Meet 2008 in France and finished there with an 18.7 average in 7th place. Former Sinapsi member Marco Arrigo competed with the Spin Team in France, and he also won the bronze medal for Italy in 8-way with Ex3mo.

Sinapsi then came back last year with a new lineup and won the Italian Nationals 2008. Pete Allum's former XL team mate Steve Hamilton had taken Arianna de Benedetti's Center Outside slot. The new Sinapsi lineup is now at the highest Italian scoring and performance level in history.

The current Sinapsi lineup brings an interesting situation to next year's World Championship of Formation Skydiving in Russia, Menzelinsk. The NSL News reported a reunion of the former British national team XL from the World Challenge 2009 where Pete Allum, Steve Hamilton, Thomas Hughes and John McIver finished in 4th place with a 27.3 average.

The four members of the last XL lineup in 2003 went again separate ways after the April competition in Bedford. However, at least three of them will meet again next year in Russia. Sinapsi members Pete Allum and Steve Hamilton are already qualified with Italy's national team for 2010 and may or may not go to Russia with Sinapsi.

John McIver has guided Satori to a new scoring and performance level, already higher compared to the XL 2003 lineup. Satori is the new British 4-way champion and the national 4-way team for the 2010 season. The team's 21.3 average at the UK Nationals 2009 is also the highest average a British 4-way team has ever posted.

Thomas Hughes is trying to win the 2009 USPA National Skydiving Championships next week and could join the XL reunion in Russia if he succeeds with Spaceland Force XP.

Even if this does not work, he will probably still travel to Russia as Spaceland Blue's coach.

Finally, even XL's videographer of 2003, Rob Stevenson, may compete at the world meet in Russia next year. Satori has invited him to film the team in 2010. There is a good chance that the next XL reunion of the 2003 lineup might really happen.