posted Nov 6th, 2013 - The last Sun Path Products NSL News update from France was published quite a while ago. In fact, the French VFS 4way team Team4speed SD was the topic for the story on 8 October 2013, after the reigning world champions had competed as a guest team at the USPA Nationals 2013.

The French national teams in the traditional Formation Skydiving events received their last attention during and after the World Cup 2013 in Banja Luka, which was held in August.

The 2013 season was a building year for the new French lineups after the Mondial Dubai 2012. None of the four French national teams in Formation Skydiving continued with the same lineup, including Team4speed SD. National coach Jeremie Rollett, former 4way and 8way world champion, now provided an update for the Sun Path Products NSL News.

France seems to be in good shape at the end of the building year. The teams have shown their potential successfully with their new lineups, and coach Jeremie Rollett has quietly set up an intensive winter training plan. He said that he and his delegation prefer a "quiet winter period to work hard".

He wants his teams to be ready for the first big showdown in 2014, the Paraclete XP Indoor and Outdoor Championships in Raeford and DeLand. VFS 4way coach Philippe Schorno shares this goal with his national coach and was already on his way at the USPA Nationals.

Team4speed SD has one new team member, as Philippe Schorno explained for the Sun Path Products NSL News on 13 August 2013. The French team is trying to close the distance to Dubai Nexus and get ready for next year's title defense in Prostejov.

The French 4way team in the female 4way category, Aerodyne French Girls, is probably in the best position of all French national teams. Perrine Sanchez is the only reigning world champion of the Mondia Dubai 2012 in the new lineup, and her team was able to outlast the same lineup of the Golden Knights at the World Cup 2013 after jump-off and tie-breaker.

France does not have to catch up in this category, and Jeremie Rollett is expecting great things from the Aerodyne French Girls next year. He thinks that France will probably benefit from the early changes in the lineup, as the team had the whole 2013 season together and performed early on the same level as the strongest opponent.

The French Girls will compete at the upcoming 4th Dubai Cup and will be well prepared. Jeremie Rollett said that the team will train in Dubai and also complete indoor training camps before and after the competition.

Jeremie Rollett sees the same benefits coming for his 4way Open Class lineup. Julien Degen and Mathieu Bernier, both 4way world champions of 2010, have two new young team mates, Pierre Emmanuel Balages and Damien Gouriou, and the new lineup spent the complete 2013 season together, as well.

France won only bronze medals in the 4way Open Class at the Mondial Dubai 2012 and at the World Cup 2013, and the task in this category is probably the most challenging one. NMP-PCH Hayabusa is back with the same lineup and is the top contender after ending up only one single point behind gold in Dubai.

Arizona Airspeed is in the same situation as France with two new members, and additional strong opposition can be expected from Russia (Barkli) and Canada (Evolution). However, Jeremie Rollett said that his 4way Open Class team is on track after the outdoor training this fall. Maubeuge Aerodyne will not compete in Dubai and train indoor and outdoor in Spain instead in November and December. A winter camp in Eloy follows in January before the first 2014 competition at the Paraclete XP meets.

The French 8way team, world meet gold medalist of 2006, 2008, 2010 and silver medalist in 2012, went through the biggest and latest personnel changes. The final selection of the new lineup was completed in September, and only one 8way team member of the past years is coming back, Thomas Perrin Gachadoat.

Jeremie Rollett had the first indoor training camp with the new and complete lineup at Paraclete XP at the end of October. He plans to run monthly 1-week camps with the 8way team until March 2014. The French goal in 8way is the gold medal in three years.

The complete French delegation will compete at the Paraclete XP Indoor and Outdoor Championships in the spring of 2014. Jeremie Rollett sees the meets as a great opportunity for evaluating the progression of his teams after the winter training. The winner of the Paraclete XP Outdoor Championship traditionally wins the World Meet the same year, too...