posted Sep 8th, 2003 - What an accurate prediction by Solly Williams! Round four turned out almost exactly the way he expected it. Sinapsi PD had problems with this sequence and could not keep their usual pace. Sebastian XL and DeLand Norgies both had excellent jumps and shared the highest score of the round with the Golden Knights and France Maubeuge. Four teams ended up with 19 points on the scoreboard. And the Norgies took back "their" third place. None of the four high-scorers of this round had an advantage. In fact, Sebastian XL and the Golden Knights both started slower than France and the Norgies and were on very high gear at the end. Especially the British team seems to get ready for a serious charge by each round.

Although France Maubeuge is still two points ahead of the Golden Knights, the teams now seem to be closer than they were in the first two rounds where France's pace was faster. The French team won one point in round three. However, both teams were only fractions of a second away from each other. Round four showed no difference at all. Actually, the advantage was with the U.S. team after making it up for a slower start, while France had a good round. The race for the gold medal is still wide open. That is great news and makes the meet even more exciting. Will any of the three "underdogs" be able to charge toward the top? Norgies and XL both showed their teeth in this round. And they are surely waiting for any mistakes by the two leaders. No, France and U.S.A. cannot afford major mistakes. 8-way is scheduled for the morning.