8way world champions: Golden Knights

posted Jan 8th, 2013 - The meet videos of Round 10 wrap at the complete NSL-TV coverage of the 8way competition at the Mondial Dubai 2012.

Golden Knights and Aerodyne Maubeuge delivered two more world class performances and both wiped out the 22.4 record average of the Golden Knights in 1997. However, it was the US Army lineup of 2012 who kept the highest 8way average in history in US and Golden Knights possession.

Round 10 was also Brian "BK" Krause's last skydive with the US Army team. He built this team and guided it to the gold medals in Dubai after four years under his leadership. Sean Sweeney is the new team captain, and he will have his hands full this year...

New team captain: Sean Sweeney in Dubai

Brian Krause is far from retiring, as most of the previous Golden Knights team captains have done after completing their missions. He has a new project, which will most likely give his young successor an 8way headache.

Kirk Verner and John D'Annunzio invited Brian Krause to take a key position in their new 8way lineup for 2013. Paraclete XP member Andy Honigbaum, former 8way world champion with Arizona Airspeed, also continues with Paraclete's 8way team, and all four team mates were at the Paraclete Drive last weekend. Brian Krause, Kirk Verner and John D'Annunzio were player coaches for the 4-on-4 indoor training camp, while Andy Honigbaum was doing his day job as a wind tunnel instructor.

The indoor training camp was successfully completed on Sunday, as the NSL News reported earlier, but the four Paraclete XP8 members stayed on for another week of 8way training. Their other four team mates for the week arrived on Monday and launch the new 8way project of 2013, which may last even longer.

Mondial Dubai 2012		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
R.	8way Open	N,21,B,5	14,C,13	22,M,20	17,H,16	J,E,12,4	7,19,15	G,K,8,2	O,L,F,P,A	10,11,18	9,Q,D,1	Total	Avg
1	Golden Knights 8 (US)	21	19	27	26	26	18(-1)	20	28	19(-1)	25	229	22.9
2	Aerodyne Maubeuge (FR)	22	19	22(-2)	23	27	20	20	28	19	25	225	22.5
3	Sky Panthers Barkli 8 (RU)	19	18(-1)	22	22	21(-2)	15	15(-1)	24	16(-1)	20(-1)	192	19.2
4	EADS 8 (DE)	14	13	15(-2)	15(-1)	18	14	14	16(-2)	13	16	148	14.8
5	VIVA 8 (CH)	13(-1)	13	15	15(-1)	14(-1)	11(-2)	12(-1)	17	13	13(-1)	136	13.6
6	Dubai Asaar 8 (AE)	11	11	12	11(-1)	10(-1)	10	10	12	12	12	111	11.1

	Brian "BK" Krause with US Ambassador in Dubai

The names of the other four Paraclete XP8 members who arrived in Raeford on Monday for a week-long indoor training camp may cause the mentioned headache for the US Army's new 8way team captain Sean Sweeney: Solly Williams, Shannon Pilcher, Josh Hall, Thiago Gomes.

Last weekend's 4-on-4 player coach and Golden Knights 8way world champion Justin "JB" Blewitt said that his 8way lineup will have a late start this year, which gives the new Paraclete XP8 lineup a head start into the 2013 season. The Golden Knights will begin with their training only in March/April. However, he knew that it will become a challenging 8way season, and he was looking forward to being a part of the internal US 8way race.

4way world champions Solly Williams (2004), Shannon Pilcher (2006) and Josh Hall (2012) don't have much 8way competition experience, and Thiago Gomes has just made it to the top level in 4way. However, it will not take much time until this lineup will arrive at the world's 8way top level. The new Paraclete XP8 lineup has three months to catch up with the Golden Knights, and the Paraclete wind tunnel obviously allows 8way indoor training. The seven new 8way world champions of the US Army team and new active member Jeshua Stahler just mastered the French challenge in Dubai, and the new pressure is already on...

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