posted Jun 18th, 2023 - The NSL News explained on June 14th that XPG4 and XPGK8 member Jeana Billings has committed to her 4-way and 8-way double duties until the next FAI World Championship of Formation Skydiving in Israel 2024. She is the only competitor in the U.S. delegation who will complete ten rounds in both events.

The challenge of double duties at world championships and world cups has been discussed many times by the NSL News and experts who have experienced the same situation in their careers. The NSL Live Talk video of one of the conversations with the same topic was a part of the update on June 14th. The 4-way/8-way double duties alone are challenging enough for any competitor, and they become even significantly heavier when FAI gold medals are the goal and on stake.

The recorded conversation on 15 August 2022 included Kirk Verner and Craig Girard who both had their own attempts to win 4-way and 8-way gold medals at the same outdoor world championsips, Kirk Verner with the original Arizona Airspeed lineup in 1999, Craig Girard with Airspeed Vertical in 2001.

Their NSL Live Talk partners in the same conversation were also their team mates in Paraclete's XP8 lineup, Michelle Karamon and Jeana Billings, who train and compete together with XPG4 at the same time. Kirk Verner and Craig Girard shared their own experiences with Michelle Karamon and Jeana Billings, who were in the final preparations for their double-gold challenge at the FAI Outdoor World Championship 2022. They also shared their thoughts openly with the NSL News audience.

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NSL Live Talk with the French 8-way team in August 2010 and with XP8 members in August 2022

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The XPG4 attempt for double-gold in Eloy last October turned out to be the next one that did not succeed. In fact, there has never been a complete 4-way lineup yet with double-gold success, even though Airspeed's 4-way teams (1999, 2001) and the French 4-way Open Class team in Maubeuge 2008 were very close to accomplishing their missions. Kirk Verner missed it by six points in 4-way in 1999, Craig Girard by one point in 8-way in 2001, France by one point in 4-way in 2008.

France tried again with the same 4-way lineup competing in 8-way in Dubai 2012, and they finished 3rd in 4-way, 2nd in 8-way. Finally, current national coach Mathieu Bernier invented a totally new approach to the double-gold mission for the French delegation in Tanay 2021.

Mathieu Bernier sent an 8-way team to Russia that consisted of the two national 4-way teams in 4-way Open and 4-way Women. Three sets of world championship medals alone with this strategy would have been a new record in Formation Skydiving competition, and he came very close. The French 8-way team was one single point behind XP8 in 2nd place after seven rounds, the 4-way Women lineup two points behind Russia after six rounds. The 4-way Open Class lineup missed a medal position in 4th place.

The French national coach is not only fascinated by the option of winning in both events. There is also an economical aspect, as he has to balance the limited budget very carefully that the French federation makes available for him.

FAI Outdoor World Championship 2010			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open Top 3		10,7,12	3,11,5	J,M,Q,P,L	19,1,13	N,18,20	K,17,8	2,15,H	4,D,6	O,E,9,G	22,B,16	Total	Avg
1	Aerodyne Aerokart	FR	21	22	56	20	22	24	22	24	40	26	277	27.7
2	Arizona Airspeed	US	22	21	53	23	20	24	23	25	40	23	274	27.4
3	Sky Panthers Barkli	RU	19	21	56	21	19	21	23	22	41	21	264	26.4
Rank	8-way Open Top 3		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	FR	25	19	16	21	22	25	18	19	23	15	203	20.3
2	Golden Knights	US	23	17	18	20	22	27	20	17	21	11	196	19.6
3	Barkli	RU	20	19	16	17	22	20	18	19	20	14	185	18.5

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France 4-way Open - France 8-way Open at the FAI Outdoor World Championship 2010

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Mathieu Bernier's fascination for the double-gold mission has a good reason though, as he is still the only Formation Skydiving competitor who has accomplished the seemingly impossible task. He alone won gold medals in 4-way and 8-way at the FAI Outdoor World Championship 2010 in Russia, by three points over Airspeed Odyssey in 4-way and by seven points over the Golden Knights in 8-way.

He had to give up the strategy that he applied in Tanay 2021, as he did not have the resources and personnel options any longer to field three gold medal contenders wiith the same budget. He has left the 8-way slot in the French delegation open for any French team with the desire to compete at a world championship, and he recruited very strong lineups for the two 4-way national teams. There will be no French double-gold attempt in the near future.

The recent French withdrawal from double-gold attempts does not mean that other powerhouses in Formation Skydiving competition stay away from the mission impossible. There is currently no other team with the same goal, while Michelle Karamon and Jeana Billings had their attempt in Eloy last year.

The same XPG4 lineup is now in the position of the top contender in 4-way Women, and XPG8 seem to be out of reach for any other 8-way team in the world. Michelle Karamon still stepped away from the same double duties as in the past years, and Jeana Billings is the only competitor on the world's medal level who will try again to win two gold medals. She has a lot in common with Mathieu Bernier, who needed the full support of his 4-way and 8-way team mates.

FAI Outdoor World Meet 2022			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Women Top 3		20,16,B		P,D,21,13		17,K,11		E,A,19,22		2,9,M		C,14,F,12		3,6,18		4,10,1		8,Q,O,H		5,7,J		Total	Avg
1	NFTO	UK	18		23		21		21		25		15	-2	17		14	-1	23		23		200	20.0
2	Nephtys	FR	16	-2	20	-1	19		21		23		14		17		14	-1	24		21		189	18.9
3	XPG4	US	17	-1	21	-1	18	-1	20	-1	20	-3	16		15		15		21	-2	21		184	18.4
Rank	8-way Open Top 3		20,16,B		P,D,21,13		17,K,11		E,A,19,22		2,9,M		C,14,F,12		3,6,18		4,10,1		8,Q,O,H		5,7,J		Total	Avg
1	Paraclete XP8	US	25	-1	20		20	-1	18	-1	18		19	-1	23		26	-1	16	-2	20	-2	205	20.5
2	Qatar Falcons	QA	21	-1	14	-2	16	-1	17		16		15	-1	19	-1	20	-1	14	-1	12	-4	164	16.4
3	Airbus	DE	18		14		14		13		4	-1	12	-2	16		16		12		14		133	13.3

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XPG4 - XP8 at the FAI Outdoor World Championship 2022

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