posted Jul 28th, 2010 - There are a few corrections concerning the previously introduced teams at the World Championship of Formation Skydiving 2010.

NMP-PCH Hayabusa has a new alternate. Luc Verstrepen has stepped back, and Dennis Praet is the new official alternate for Hayabusa. He is one of the two young Belgians who competed with Team X under Luc Verstrepen's and Joey Jones' guidance at the World Challenge 2010.

Also, the NSL News can follow up with the South African lineup. It is almost identical with the one of the World Meet 2008 in Maubeuge, France. The team name has changed to Voodoo, and the same lineup is still the official national 4-way team. Helge Harms is the new team videographer.

The Road to Russia

Last not least, it is time for the bottom part of the 2008 leaderboard. Sweden has a new team. Bardagi beat Blue Spirits at the qualification event, as the NSL News reported this month. Bardagi still has two members (Mikael Kaulanen, Rickard Rodensjö) of the previous national team Evolution that competed in 2008 and 2009.

The Tigers represented Finland in Maubeuge 2008, while the Pro Team prepared the team's takeover. The efforts turned out successfully, and the Pro Team is at the conclusion of the 3-year plan at the World Championship of Formation Skydiving 2010.

The NSL News has covered the Pro Team's careful preparations for the competition extensively. It would be no suprise if Finland's national team was seriously involved in the race for the unofficial title of the best amateur team in the world.

World Meet 2008			Round1	Round2	Round3	Round4	Round5	Round6	Round7	Round8	Total	Avg
Rank	AAAClass		B,17,7	H,N,13,A	10,J,C,6	18,12,2	E,3,9	19,O,4	D,M,5,16	14,20,21	Total	Avg
15	Sweden Evolution	News	16	18	14	10	16	16	-	-	90	15.0
16	Finland Tigers	News	19	19	14	10	16	9	-	-	87	14.5
16	Austria Monkey Circus	News	14	19	15	12	16	11	-	-	87	14.5
18	Brazil CTR Optimum	News	15	14	11	10	17	14	-	-	81	13.5
19	UK Fusion	News	15	17	14	8	16	6	-	-	76	12.7
20	China	News	7	9	8	5	9	8	-	-	46	7.7
21	Cyprus	News	6	5	4	5	5	6	-	-	31	5.2
22	Turkey	News	5	6	6	2	6	4	-	-	29	4.8
23	Slovakia	News	9	4	4	0	4	3	-	-	24	4.0

Austria does not have a national team in Russia this year. Monkey Circus competed in Maubeuge 2008 and at several other events in Austria over the years.

Brazil's national 4-way team of the past years, CTR Optimum, had personnel changes last year and is skipping this year's world meet, as well. However, Brazil has a female lineup for the first time in history.

The national 4-way team from the United Kingdom is getting its introduction at the wrong spot and time.

Satori has taken Fusion's UK slot of 2008 and will end up at a very different position on the leaderboard.

Last year's results at indoor and outdoor meets and this year's scores at the World Challenge 2010 indicate that Satori will most likely aim at the group of teams on the top of the leaderboard. UK's national team is too strong and well trained to be a part of the "amateur competition". The open question is how close Satori can get to the top contenders for Open Class 4-way medals. The NSL News will have a new Satori update very soon.

China was recently covered by the NSL News, as well. The 7.7 average at the World Meet 2008 in Maubeuge was posted by the same lineup. However, coach Solly Williams who worked with the team earlier this year, expects at least a 15-point average next week. This would lift China significantly up the leaderboard in Menzelinsk.

Cyprus, Turkey and Slovakia were in the last three position (21 - 23) in 2008 and had a good fight for the best finish of this 3-way. None of the three nations tries to improve the position on the leaderboard this year.

The three newcomers in Menzelinsk, Ukraine, Slovenia, Portugal and Kazakhstan, are not all new to the NSL News audience. The team from Portugal, Atmosfera G4, was introduced with the story on 4 March 2010. An update followed on 12 April 2010.

Atmosfera G4 will probably create some distance between Portugal and the other new national teams at the world meet right away. Atmosfera will try to keep up with other nations that have competed at previous international competitions and at the World Meet 2008. That will be more than enough work for a new team.

Slovenia and Kazakhstan both attended the 4-way Open Class competition at the World Meet 2004 in Croatia. Slovenia had teams at the World Meets of 2001 and 2003, as well.

World Cup 2007		Round1	Round2	Round3	Round4	Round5	Round6	Round7	Round8	Round9	Round10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAAClass	84 9	P7 13	14F 1	213 6	KN 2 5	LG 20 22	E19 17	11B J 15	M16 O D	12C Q 10	Total	Avg
1	France Maubeuge	16	19	15	15	17	13	18	19	22	17	171	17.1
2	Russia JetBats	13	15	15	13	16	12	15	16	20	15	150	15.0
3	Germany Chicas	13	14	13	13	13	11	15	13	20	13	138	13.8
4	Ukraine Alfa-Fox	13	13	13	11	14	10	15	17	14	12	132	13.2
5	Spain Empuria Gatas	7	9	4	5	8	3	9	9	7	9	70	7.0

Only Ukraine is really new in the Open Class at a World Championship of Formation Skydiving and will collect the first experiences. However, the audience may remember a 4-way team from Ukraine that caught quite some attention a few years ago, not only due to the bright orange jump suits.

Alfa Fox competed in the female 4-way category, for the first time at the World Meet 2004 (5.4 average) in Croatia. The team from Ukraine came back to the World Meet Germany two years later and posted a 12.6 average.

Alfa Fox even competed for the bronze medals at the World Cup 2007 in Russia and finished only six points short (13.2) behind the Chicas from Germany. The young ladies from Ukraine did not make it to France in 2008, and a team now joins the Open Class competition in Menzelinsk.