posted Oct 26th, 2014 - The 8-way news from France (21 October) apparently changed the results of the US Sweep 2016 poll, as the story on 25 October 2014 explained. It is time now to follow with other lineup decisions and selections that were recently finalized by French national coach Jeremie Rollett.

The safest bet for France to win Formation Skydiving gold medals was the 4-way Women event in the past six years, together with the VFS 4-way team. The French teams in those two FS events collected a total of six gold medals between 2010 and 2014.

The situation has changed dramatically for France in the country's most successful events. Team4speed has officially retired, while 2014 world champions Perrine Sanchez and Laurence Herve are not coming back with the French Girls. Only Christine Malnis and Sophia Pecout, the newest members of the world champion lineup, will try to defend their gold medals in 2016.

World Meet 2014		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Women	E,3,C,5	F,6,D,21	19,H,2	M,4,1	O,14,A,P	8,J,16	7,11,12	22,20,15	17,G,18	13,B,9	Total	Avg
1	French Girls (FR)	21	25	22	20	27	21	18	17	19	24	214	21.4
2	Golden Knights (US)	22	25	21	21	23	18	16	15	19	24	204	20.4
3	Kaizen (UK)	15	20	16	18	19	14	14	13	15	17	161	16.1

Perrine Sanchez has retired from the national team after winning two gold medals in 2012 and 2014, while Laurence Herve was upgraded to the 4-way Open Class team after winning her first gold medal. This makes Laurence Herve the first female 4-way competitor in a French Open Class lineup, which will be one of the next topics for the Sun Path Products NSL News.

Returning member Sophia Pecout was first a member of the female B-Team Maubeuge NPC B3 in 2012 before she was selected for the national team in 2013 and then won the gold medal in 4-way Women this year. Christine Malnis trained and competed with Amethys Maubeuge in 2012.

Both French Girls of 2013 and 2014 know their new team mates, Anais Maillet and Clementine Lebohec, from previous 4-way and 8-way lineups. Anais Maillet and Clementine Lebohec both competed with Nemesis Espoir Saumur in 2013, while Anais Maillet was also the alternate for the French Girls. Anais Maillet was then selected as the first French female competitor for the new national 8-way team last year.

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
Rank	4way Women	5,12,E	6,D,B,K	O,8,7	N,13,18	10,21,M	19,H,11	C,G,1,A	20,9,15	16,F,P,Q	2,J,4	Total	Avg
1	Deep Blue Defenders (FR)	18	28	19	16	18	19	21	19	30	19	207	20.7
2	Golden Knights (US)	19	27	21	15	18	19	21	17	26	18	201	20.1
3	Polaris (NO)	15	25	19	14	16	16	21	15	21	16	178	17.8

Clementine Lebohec continued with the French B-Team Artemis Saumur Flyzone and a new lineup in 2014. The Sun Path Products NSL News introduced the team on 18 July 2014 and mentioned that national coach Jeremie Rollett seemed "to keep male and female competitors evenly trained and prepared in the same lineup for any upcoming opportunities and open slots".

The opportunity has now arrived, as the French 4-way Women team needed two new members, and 20-year old Clementine LeBohec was selected for the new national team in her third year of top level training and competition, together with her former Saumur team mate Anais Maillet.

The new French 4-way Women lineup is the youngest one since France sent a female 4-way team to a world meet for the first time in 2004. However, the lineup includes two reigning world champions, and national coach Jeremie Rollett has given the two national 4-way teams funding priority.

World Meet 2010		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	4way Women	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	Aerokart Deep Blue (FR)	20	19	47	18	19	20	21	21	32	19	236	23.6
2	Team Bodyflight (UK)	16	17	44	17	17	19	18	19	30	19	216	21.6
3	Spaceland Blue (US)	17	14	38	15	16	15	17	15	29	12	188	18.8

France started off with two silver medals in 2004 and 2006, followed by bronze in 2008. The Deep Blue lineup of 2008 (Sophie Deremaux, Berangere Duplouy, Francoise Simons-Hamouchi, Amelie Tirman, with Christophe Chekroun on camera) then won the first gold medals for France two years later in Menzelinsk. Gold medals followed in 2012 and 2014.

There have always been changes in the French gold medal lineups. Only one Deep Blue member (Amelie Tirman) came back for the next two years after Menzelinsk 2010, and alternate Sophie Deremaux only won her second gold medal since she had to fill in for new member Laurence Herve who broke her ankle a few months before the Mondial Dubai 2012.

Perrine Sanchez and Laurence Herve had two new team mates (Christine Malnis and Sophia Pecout) for 2013 and 2014 and now won the gold medals in Prostejov. Coach Marin Ferre is obviously used to bringing up new lineups to world class speed quickly. The Golden Knights are going into the team's 5th year with the same lineup, and Marin Ferre will have his hands full to catch up this time...