posted Jan 30th, 2020 - The Wind Games 2020 were at half-time after five rounds on Thursday, and the scores are promising an exciting second half and a very interesting competition season this year.

As expected, NMP PCH HayaBusa is on the top of the leaderboard, once again on a 35+ average level. However, both U.S. teams are much closer than expected at this point in time. In fact, Arizona Airspeed won three of the first five rounds, and the world champions from Belgium recorded only two highscores. The lead is still five points, which they created in just these two rounds.

It is a very strong message that is coming from Arizona Airspeed and SDC Rhythm XP both, as they recently went through their personnel changes, and the new lineups compete in Spain. NMP PCH HayaBusa is back with the same lineup that has been training and competing together since 2015.

It is very impressive how quickly Airspeed and Rhythm both have integrated their new team members and perform on their highest indoor scoring level so far, whilst a 35+ average is nothing new for the Belgians. The U.S. teams have total control over the battle for 2nd place and are seriously challenging the leader.

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Wind Games 2020			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		11		Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class		Q,F,6,14		1,13,4		8,J,15		O,9,D,5		21,A,P,H		N,C,20,12		7,G,K,19		10,16,22		17,E,11		M,B,3,L		18,2,D		Total	Avg
1	NMP-PCH Hayabusa	BE	32	-1	29		28	-1	44	-3	45		-		-		-		-		-		-		178	35.6
2	Arizona Airspeed	US	34		24	-1	29		45	-2	41		-		-		-		-		-		-		173	34.6
3	SDC Rhythm XP	US	33		25		27	-1	44	-1	41		-		-		-		-		-		-		170	34.0
4	Weembi Unicorns	IN	28		23		26		42		36		-		-		-		-		-		-		155	31.0
5	ISR FireFlash	BE	30		23		26		39		36		-		-		-		-		-		-		154	30.8
6	IFS-Moscow	RU	27	-3	20	-3	25	-2	45	-2	36	-1	-		-		-		-		-		-		153	30.6
7	NFTO	UK	28		21		22		38		36		-		-		-		-		-		-		145	29.0
8	Echochamber	SE	28		21		22		37		35		-		-		-		-		-		-		143	28.6
9	Nephtys Weembi	FR	26		19	-1	20	-1	35		32		-		-		-		-		-		-		132	26.4
10	Oceanside AtomiX	DE	25	-2	21		19	-2	31	-1	31		-		-		-		-		-		-		127	25.4
11	Out of the Blue	NL	25		19		21		31	-2	29	-1	-		-		-		-		-		-		125	25.0
12	Papea	ES	22		19		21		29	-1	27	-2	-		-		-		-		-		-		118	23.6
13	Voss Vind Girls	NO	22	-1	19	-1	21		28	-1	27		-		-		-		-		-		-		117	23.4
13	Blue Steel	FI	24		18		20		29		26	-1	-		-		-		-		-		-		117	23.4
15	Lucky Boys	HU	20	-2	18	-1	20		28	-1	27		-		-		-		-		-		-		113	22.6
16	Realfly Fire	CH	23		16	-3	18	-2	25	-1	28	-1	-		-		-		-		-		-		110	22.0
17	3 Boys 1 Girl	IN	21		16		18		27		26		-		-		-		-		-		-		108	21.6
18	Windobona Angels	ES	21		16	-1	17	-2	26		26	-1	-		-		-		-		-		-		106	21.2
19	Standby	IT	20		13	-3	16		22		24		-		-		-		-		-		-		95	19.0
19	Equinox	LT	22		17		15	-1	20	-2	21	-3	-		-		-		-		-		-		95	19.0

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The recent changes in the Airspeed and Rhythm lineups created a situation where more contenders were expected to have a chance to be involved in the battle for the positions behind NMP PCH HayaBusa. This has changed after the first five rounds, and it is only the 4th place that is left for any other teams.

Realistically, there are only three teams in the race for this 4th place, and two of them, Weembi Unicorns and ISR FireFlash, are the cleanest performers with no penalties at all on their score sheets. NFTO and Echochamber share the same desirable benefit, and both are rewarded with their highest scoring level at half-time.

NFTO have a commanding lead over Nephtys Weembi in 4-way Women, and Julia Swallow is surely not slowing down the lineup at the Wind Games.

The French indoor team in 4-way Women attend their first meet with the complete 2020 lineup. Indoor world champion Clementine Le Bohec competes with Weembi Unicorns, and her 2019 world champion team mate Pamela Lissajoux is back in the Nephtys lineup. The scoring level of the higher rankings seems to be too far away for the 4-way Women teams at this event.

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Wind Games 2020			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	NSL Power Rankings		TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	Total	Avg
1	NMP-PCH Hayabusa	BE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2	SDC Rhythm XP	US	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2	Arizona Airspeed	US	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2	Echochamber	SE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2	IFS-Moscow	RU	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2	Nephtys Weembi	FR	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2	NFTO	UK	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2	ISR FireFlash	BE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
9	Weembi Unicorns	IN	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
9	Oceanside AtomiX	DE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
9	Out of the Blue	NL	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
12	Papea	ES	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
12	Blue Steel	FI	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
12	Voss Vind Girls	NO	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
15	Black Mantis	AT	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
15	Standby	IT	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
15	Lucky Boys	HU	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
18	Windobona Angels	ES	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
18	Realfly Fire	CH	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
18	Equinox	LT	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
-	3 Boys 1 Girl	IN	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

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Only the top position of the AAA Class leaderboard and the battle for the last spot in the Top 10 seems to be according to the expectations in the previously posted NSL Power Rankings. Oceanside AtomiX from Germany and Out of the Blue from the Netherlands are separated by only two points after Round 5.

Both teams, Oceanside AtomiX with Paul Hofstee in the lineup for the first time, perform on new record levels, and this duel will probably continue throughout the remainder of the Wind Games. Weembi Unicorns with another new lineup are far ahead of both national teams and will try to fend off the challenge by ISR FireFlash and IFS-Moscow for the 4th place on Friday.

The Russian indoor team, with Tanay 8-way member Dmitry Samokhval in the lineup, lost too many points against the two cleanest opponents due to penalties. In fact, IFS-Moscow have collected more point deductions (11) than any other teams on the current leaderboard. The competition for the 4th place could become very interesting with cleaner Russian score sheets on Friday.