posted Jun 4th, 2010 - The NSL News story on 30 April 2010 reported that the old and new Australian 4-way champions of Rotor Out, Steph Bensley, Jens Goennemann, Gary Nemirovsky and Darren Pearson, planned to prepare themselves for a tough battle for a slot in the Top 10 at the World Championship of Formation Skydiving 2010 in Menzelinsk, Russia. The same story mentioned that a special situation between Rotor Out and the German national team FSC Eisenach would make it even more exciting.

An new update from Australia confirmed unfortunately that the situation has changed. Rotor Out with the former German national team member Jens Goennemann is not going to challenge the German team in Russia. The Rotor Out plans have been canceled.

Jens Goennemann recently broke the bad news to his former German team mates. He did not elaborate on the reasons for the cancelation. However, he mentioned that the Australian federation has been officially informed.

The Road to Russia

The news did not change the world in the German 4-way headquarters. The FSC Eisenach members were aware of the upcoming German/Australian challenge when Rotor Out won the Australian Nationals 2010 and made plans for the World Meet in Russia.

FSC Eisenach member Jörn Thiele said that his team was happy for their former EADS 8-way team mate that he would compete again at the World Meet 2010. However, Eisenach did not have specific plans related to Rotor Out and doesn't see any other more or less relevant battles coming at the competition in Russia.

The German 4-way competitors know that there will be an unofficial race for the title of the best "amateur team". They are waiting for the World Meet to begin and then see whether they will be contending for this unofficial title or not.

The FSC Eisenach members competed in 4-way and in 8-way at the World Meet 2008 in France and were not involved in the race for the unofficial amateur title by then, as they performed well below the team potential in 4-way. The 8-way team ended up in 4th place behind bronze medal winner Ex3mo from Italy.

This year, FSC Eisenach will only compete in 4-way, and the team's 20.8 average at the German Nationals 2009 shows what the team can do with the main focus on one event.

Unfortunately, it seems as if Germany may not send an 8-way team to the World Meet 2010. The EADS 8-way team without Jens Goennemann also won the German Nationals last year and decided early that the Eisenach members will compete only in 4-way. The German federation has made no effort so far to sanction another lineup to represent Germany at the World Championship of Formation Skydiving.

German 8-way team EADS at the World Cup 2009

The last time was almost 20 years ago when Germany did not have an 8-way team at a World Championship of Formation Skydiving.

The 8-way competition at the world meets in 1989 and 1991 took place without German participation and were the only ones ever since dive pool and rules changed to the current system in 1985. There are still hopes in the German Formation Skydiving community that the federation may sanction a lineup of other eager competitors to travel to Russia.

FSC Eisenach had a difficult start of the 2010 season, as some team members were very busy with work and study projects. However, the German team is focused on the competition at the World Meet in Russia and plans to train on several weekends, maybe even for one whole week before.

A few additional training days after arrival in Menzelinsk will complete the preparations.

This year's competition in Russia will be the second World Meet for Markus Bastuck, Dieter Schwarz, Jörn and Max Thiele, with Alexander Hau on camera.

Jörn Thiele said that his team really wants to focus on 4-way. FSC Eisenach's first World Meet 2008 in France had the focus on 8-way where EADS was hoping to win bronze medals. This time, his team wants to have a good showing in 4-way.

He said that his team is probably the one with the longest history of the same lineup of all teams at the World Meet. The current FSC Eisenach members formed their lineup at the end of the 2003 season and have trained and competed together ever since.

Brothers Jörn and Max Thiele go even further back as team mates. They started skydiving together in 1997. Father Helmut Thiele, original member of the legendary German team Walter's Voegel that won bronze medals at the World Meet 1975 in Germany, jumped with his sons until 2000. Then Markus Bastuck took his slot.

Dieter Schwarz joined the team in 2003 and completed the lineup that will compete this year in Russia.

FSC Eisenach has broken all previous German 4-way and 8-way records over the years and eventually arrived above the 20.0 benchmark last year. The unofficial amateur title at the World Meet 2010 would probably still be the greatest achievement in the team's long history.