posted Aug 2nd, 2011 - The 8way scores of Round 2 gave the French headquarters hope that the Golden Knights might not run away easily. It was a challenge to recover from a meet opener that gave the US Army team all the confidence in the world.

Team captain Brian "BK" Krause confirmed that it was the best start into a competition that he could remember. His team came out of the gates as if it was Round 10 of a high profile competition.

On the other side, the French side, team captain Clement Martin St. Leon remembered that it was completely different last year at the World Championship of Formation Skydiving 2010. The Golden Knights were very confident going into the competition in Menzelinsk, Russia, after easily defeating France in a remote test meet. It was shocking for the Golden Knights when France won Round 1 by two points. The US 8way team lost Round 2 again by two points and had a hard time to recover. France won the gold medals.

The situation is reversed this time, at least for the meet opener, and the Golden Knights are in a much better position. However, France recovered much quicker and better than the Knights last year and tied the US 18-pointer in Round 2. It will be another horse race.

The next video clip goes back to the very beginning of the first meet day at the World Cup 2011. The NSL-TV camera was in the boarding area when the first load took off.

The next stop was in the front of the outdoor TV screen where coaches Andy Delk and Steve Hamilton watched some competition jumps. Andy Delk is working with Illusions, the Russian team in the female 4way category, who made Aerodyne Deep Blue Defenders' life difficult in Round 2 and Round 3. Steve Hamilton is trying to stay close to Andy Delk and his team with Polaris from Norway.

The NSL News followed Illusions to the next jump preparations with coach Andy Delk and talked to videographer Elena "Lenka" Mazaeva who is a very strong 4-way competitor herself. Last not least, the NSL News found the NMP-PCH Hayabusa brothers David and Andy Grauwels when their 4way day was over.