posted Feb 7th, 2008 - The NSL News has covered the complicated situation in Italy after last year's national championship quite a few times. The last update on 29 January 2008 explained the perspective of the reigning Italian 4-way champion, the Eutelia Spin Team.

Italy's parachute association, FIPAS, had already passed on the issue to a higher level by then, due to the complicated situation and the different intertwined interests of the involved parties. Italy's CCSA was now in charge of the final decision. The CCSA is the national sporting commission that oversees all aeronautical disciplines in Italy.

The CCSA decision was made public a few days ago and surprised everybody. Things turned out in a very different way, and the name of Italy's national 4-way team for 2008 has not even been mentioned once throughout the whole dispute. However, the conclusion surely makes a lot of sense for a neutral observer.

The CCSA decided that the team in 2nd place at the Italian Nationals 2007, Felix Poseidon, will represent Italy at the World Championship of Formation Skydiving 2008 in France.

The team in first place, the Spin Team, was not sanctioned by the CCSA since team member Marco Arrigo also trains and competes with Italy's 8-way team, Ex3mo. The Italian sporting commission agreed with the FIPAS position that any Italian competitor should focus only on one event, especially if international medals are in reach for an Italian team.

Marco Arrigo is also a new member for the Spin Team. He was not in the lineup that won the Italian Nationals 2007. Enea Savorelli competed for the Spin Team that posted a 17.2 average in August 2007. The other three Spin Team members, Alessandro Giovannini, Antonella Chiarin and Mirko Righi, then decided to offer Enea Savorelli's slot to Marco Arrigo.

The qualification rules of most countries allow teams to replace a certain number of team members, and the Spin Team was surely within the Italian limits. FIPAS and CCSA would most likely have agreed with a personnel change, no matter what reason caused the move to a new team member. The obstacle was Marco Arrigo's double duties in 4-way and 8-way at the World Meet in France.

The former Italian national team, Sinapsi PD, bronze medal winner at the World Championship of Formation Skydiving 2006 in Germany, had also applied for the Italian slot in France this year. Sinapsi PD suggested a new line-up, as well, since former Center Outside, Arianna de Benedetti, left the team at the end of the 2006 season.

Sinapsi PD had not attended the Italian Nationals 2007 and needed a special exemption from the Italian associations. The CCSA simply concluded that the qualification rules require the national team to win the national championship, and Sinapsi PD was denied the status of the national team, as well.

Next step for FIPAS and CCSA was to find the next team in line, which was not that difficult any longer once the Spin Team and Sinapsi PD were denied. FIPAS and CCSA followed the same procedures that other nations had already applied in the past. The next team in the rankings at the last national championship would be asked to repesent Italy.

Felix Poseidon placed 2nd at the Italian Nationals 2007 with a 16.6 average after ten rounds, two points ahead of the team in 3rd place, Ex3mix, with members of the 8-way team Ex3mo. The rest was formality. Francesco de Felice, Mario Fattoruso, Paolo Tedesco and Vincenzo Tedesco, with Armando Fattoruso on camera, will compete for Italy at the World Meet 2008.

The same procedure has already been business as usual in other countries. Arizona Airspeed won the 8-way competition at the USPA Nationals 2007 and passed down the tickets to France to Knight Trax in 2nd place. The reason was identical with the logic of Italy's FIPAS and CCSA. Airspeed Odyssey wanted to focus on the 4-way event and volunteered the 8-way slot to Knight Trax. USPA just had to sanction this decision.

The 4-way slot of the Open Class in the United Kingdom was handed down even further. Bodyflight Storm won the UK Nationals 2007 with an 18.1 average and decided to compete in IPC's female 4-way category. Team Elan placed 2nd and decided no to compete in the Open Class at the World Meet. Aardvark Zulu was in 3rd place but disbanded at the end of the 2007 season. Eventually Fusion, in 4th place at the UK Nationals 2008 with a 13.9 average, will have the honor to represent the United Kingdom in France this year, sanctioned by the British Parachute Association (BPA).

Italy is obviously in line with the policy of other nations after the decision to sanction Felix Poseidon as the national team this year. Chances are little that the new national team will be able to defend the Italian bronze medals of 2006. However, the Spin Team would probably not be able to win medals for Italy, as well. At the end, there are only three sets of medals available for many more teams, and there is more to sports in general than only winning medals...

Update

The Spin Team does not agree with the FIPAS/CCSA decision and has filed an appeal. The NSL News will follow up as soon as there is a new ruling.