posted Oct 15th, 2010 - The beginning of the new age of Formation Skydiving competition can be defined with the introduction of the current dive pool and rules after the World Meet in 1983. Ever since, France has tried to win 8-way gold medals at World Championships of Formation Skydiving.

It took over 20 years until Excalibur was taken to France for the first time in 2006. Some earlier French 8-way lineups came really close. Didier Boignon, who is still competing in 4-way with Monaco Aerial, missed the 8-way gold medal two times by only one single point, in Brazil 1987 and France 1995.

8-way Formation Skydiving competition is an extremely intense team sport where the success depends on each individual's performance, and there are nine team members who have to deliver well at the right time. However, it seems as if a certain combination in the French lineups eventually brought the much desired gold medals, and three names stand out over the years: Erwan Pouliquen, Emmanuel "Manu" Sarrazin and Clement Martin St. Leon.

World Meet 2006		Round1	Round2	Round3	Round4	Round5	Round6	Total	Avg
Rank	8-way	8-O-Q-F	16-15-9	4-J-6	19-20-D	7-5-1	10-12-A	Total	Avg
1	France Maubeuge NPC	18	25	26	18	18	18	123	20.5
2	USA Arizona Airspeed	18	23	24	18	17	19	119	19.8
3	Russia R.T. Evolution Pro	16	19	23	15	15	16	104	17.3

It was the complete 8-way lineup of 2004 (Mathieu Bernier, Guillaume Bernier, Julien Degen, Jeremie Rollett, Clement Martin St. Leon, Bruno Perin, Emmanuel Sarrazin, Damien Sorlin, with alternate Erwan Pouliquen and Alexandre Pereira on camera) that continued after the 2nd place in Croatia and eventually won the first French 8-way gold medals two years later in Germany.

Erwan Pouliquen, one of the mentioned key 3-way, was not in the active lineup when the 2004 team was put together. He was assigned by national coach Jerome David to do 4-way in 2004 and 2006 and won silver medals for France in Croatia and Germany.

He was still a crucial component for the French 8-way plan, as he had collected 8-way experiences beginning in 1997. He won 8-way bronze medals in 1997 and 1999, switched to 4-way in 2001 and won a silver medal in Spain. He turned silver into gold two years later and won 8-way bronze medals at the same time on home turf in 2003. The second crucial French 8-way player had come into the picture at that time, Emmanuel "Manu" Sarrazin.

World Meet 2008		Round1	Round2	Round3	Round4	Round5	Round6	Round7	Total	Avg
Rank	8-way	17,P,4	H,13,7	6,M,1	9,22,C	16,J,8	K,F,G,18	O,Q,5,12	Total	Avg
1	France	23	18	26	22	22	24	16	151	21.6
2	USA	18	18	26	21	22	19	16	140	20.0
3	Italy Ex3mo	20	16	22	17	18	18	15	126	18.0

Manu Sarrazin continued in 8-way, and Clement Martin St. Leon joined the French 8-way trio of success in 2004. National coach Jerome David had now assigned Erwan Pouliquen as the technical 8-way coach for the new 2004 lineup, while he was competing in 4-way again and won another silver medal in Croatia. The new 8-way team placed 2nd.

Jerome David continued with exactly the same plan for two more years, as the gold medals in 8-way had first priority. The same 8-way lineup brought home the gold medals for the first time, while coach and alternate Erwan Pouliquen added another silver medal in 4-way.

Erwan Pouliquen, Manu Sarrazin and Clement Martin St. Leon trained and competed together for the first time after winning the first 8-way gold medal. Erwan Pouliquen had turned into a player coach, and it worked out well. The 2008 lineup defended the gold medals successfully on home turf in Maubeuge.

World Meet 2010		Round1	Round2	Round3	Round4	Round5	Round6	Round7	Round8	Round9	Round10	Total	Avg
Rank	8-way	3,21,N	6,20,9	E,G,17,5	K,16,2	12,C,22	B,D,M,1	7,15,J	13,L,P,11	4,18,O	10,14,19	Total	Avg
1	France	25	19	16	21	22	25	18	19	23	15	203	20.3
2	USA	23	17	18	20	22	27	20	17	21	11	196	19.6
3	Russia	20	19	16	17	22	20	18	19	20	14	185	18.5

The NSL News reviewed the situation in France a few weeks after the World Meet 2008 focusing on Erwan Pouliquen's situation:

"It would be a surprise if Jerome David does not continue with Erwan Pouliquen in charge for the new French 8-way lineup. The 8-way gold medalists of 2006 and 2008 have now disbanded. The 4-way lineup will focus only on 4-way from here on, and the new and again very young 8-way lineup of former B-Team members has already been selected.

Most likely, Erwan Pouliquen will introduce the new French 8-way team at the USPA National 2008. The only question is whether he will be able to direct the team completely and only from the bench from here on. It seems to be very difficult for the passionate competitor to really retire..."

World Meet 2010 in Menzelinsk: Rounds 7 and 8 in 8-way

He could not. Erwan Pouliquen continued as the player coach for the 8-way team and won his second 8-way gold medal this year at the World Championship of Formation Skydiving 2010. Clement Martin St. Leon had taken the position of the team captain in the meantime, as Manu Sarrazin had stepped back to help coaching and be the alternate for the new 8-way lineup after 2008.

Clement Martin St. Leon is now the only French 8-way competitor who has won three consecutive gold medals. He may be the only 8-way competitor in the world who has ever achieved this. Only some Golden Knights of the earlier years may have earned the same honor.

Erwan Pouliquen is the longest standing French national competitior after winning his first World Meet bronze medal in 1997. He has collected a total of nine medals since 1997 as an active competitor and never came back from a World Meet without a medal. This is also a very unique and still standing record. Same question as in September 2008: Will he come back next year...?

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