On Sunday, 15 January 2017 18:40:06 UTC+2, wrote:
I think Charlie is right on target.
Team flying is so very different than the American solo pilot model.
The French team lives and trains together virtually year round.
The support system for them at St. Auban is the gold standard.
At least they allow us to enjoy their facilities as renters.

Many teams fly competitions without practise before, and still take the medals. I see same US guys flying in same class/team for many WGCs, there would have been countless hours of flying time available for honing team flying skills during this period. I think the reason is culture and way of thinking. You (and me) view it as individual sports, but most succesful countries view gliding as a team sport (like cycling, which is respectively popular in those countries). And it is, there is huge advantage to be gained from team.