posted Sep 11th, 2014 - The Sun Path Products NSL News audience had to wait longer than usual to watch videos of the competition action at the FAI World Championship of Formation Skydiving 2014, due to the lack of online services by the hosts. However, the wait for the last missing videos of the top teams is over, as Evolution's videographer and VFS competitor Jean Christophe Oumet provided the footage of the bronze medal winner in Prostejov.

It is difficult to summarize briefly what an incredible achievement the 3rd place was for Evolution. It was a very special world meet for the three Lemay brothers (Martin, Vincent, Benoit), Katie Woods and Jean Christophe Oumet. All five members won their first medals at a World Championship of Formation Skydiving.

It was even more special for Martin, Vincent, Benoit Lemay and Jean Christophe Oumet who won two bronze medals in two 4-way events. The three Lemay brothers competed actively in 4-way Open and VFS 4-way, while Jean Christophe Oumet was filming the 4-way Open lineup with Katie Woods and turned his own points in VFS 4-way.

World Meet 2014		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open	E,3,C,5	F,6,D,21	19,H,2	M,4,1	O,14,A,P	8,J,16	7,11,12	22,20,15	17,G,18	13,B,9	Total	Avg
1	NMP-PCH Hayabusa (BE)	32	29	25	25	33	25	22	18	26	29	264	26.4
2	Arizona Airspeed (US)	31	27	25	24	31	23	22	17	24	29	253	25.3
3	Evolution (CA)	31	28	24	22	28	23	20	21	25	27	249	24.9

There is nothing new that competitors have won two medals in 4-way and 8-way at the same meet, even though Mathieu Bernier from France is still the only competitor who has won two gold medals in Russia 2010. However, it is the first time in history that any competitor has won a medal in VFS 4-way and any other FS category at the same event.

The Sun Path Products NSL News mentioned earlier that it was also the first time that France did not win a medal in 4-way. Evolution was responsible for the French 4-way trouble, and the Canadians were not too far away from creating another upset. They ended up only four points behind Arizona Airspeed, the reigning 4-way world champions in Prostejov.

There is still more to the Canadian 24.9 average in Prostejov. Evolution was the only team scoring 20 points or higher throughout the whole 10-round competition. They mastered the slowest sequence of the competition in Round 8 (22,20,15) with a 21-pointer, easily outscoring new world champion NMP-PCH Hayabusa (18) and Arizona Airspeed (17).

World Meet 2014		Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Round 6	Round 7	Round 8	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way VFS	9,2,D	17,7,10	12,16,E	15,8,G	J,6,L,N	B,14,5	I,F,3,A	4,13,C	Total	Avg
1	Team4speed SD (FR)	23	19	30	20	26	22	24	15	179	22.4
2	Arizona Arsenal (US)	19	15	27	22	23	20	25	17	168	21.0
3	Evolution VFS (CA)	18	15	23	19	21	15	16	15	142	17.8

It may not be coincidence that the slow sequence included Block 15 (Cat - Cat) where Evolution invented their own technique that no other team in the world has applied yet. Evolution has been cogging all individual 360-degree turns as in Block 7 and Block 14 since the Paraclete XP Outdoor Championship 2014.

Evolution is the only team this year that has joined the 20-pointer elite club of 4-way teams who score 20 points or higher in a 10-round competition. The Canadians did it with a sequence that may have been the slowest one in the history of modern 4-way competition (since 1985).

Evolution would have stepped right up into the 21-pointer club without a penalty in the previous Round 7. It was the second slowest sequence (7,11,12) of the competition, and the Canadians completed 21 points in time before penalties.

The Canadian achievements in Prostejov become even more valuable with a closer look at the history of Formation Skydiving competition. It could also be a serious Canadian warning of things to come.

Canada launched the new era of Formation Skydiving competition with a gold medal at the World Cup 1984 in LaPalisse, where father Michel Lemay was in the Canadian lineup. Canada followed up with a 2nd place at the World Meet 1985 in Yugoslavia.

Not much happened for Canada after Rob Laidlaw retired his 4-way and 8-way efforts and until Michel Lemay came back with his new family team in 2006, with Martin and Vincent in the lineup. Benoit Lemay was eventually old enough for the World Meet 2008, and Evolution has improved the placement at each world meet ever since. Canada already had a 2nd place finish in 1985, and the current lineup may just skip the next step and go for the gold in 2016...