posted Jan 23rd, 2016 - While several of the best 4-way teams in the world compete at the Wind Games 2016 in Empuriabrava, Spain, the Sun Path Products NSL News has taken once again a closer look at the world rankings that the International Parachuting Commission (IPC) of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) posted at the end of the 2015 season.

The 4-way rankings are showing Belgium in 1st place, which is as accurate as it can be. NMP PCH Hayabusa represents Belgium and has been the undisputed indoor and outdoor leader in 4-way Formation Skydiving competition since winning the gold medals at the World Championships in Prostejov 2014.

Arizona Airspeed had the world's top spot before Hayabusa and is without much doubt the only team that might currently be able to challenge the Belgians seriously.

However, the national team is not even in the Top 10 for the U.S.A. in the FAI rankings. The Formation Skydiving powerhouse is in 15th place at the end of the 2015 season.

The only other team that was within striking distance of the two world leaders in Prostejov 2014 was Evolution, the bronze medal winner.

The three Lemay brothers, with Katie Woods and Jean Christophe "JC" Oumet on camera by then, still did not move Canada into a much better position in the rankings. Canada is right behind the U.S.A. in 16th place.

Russia and France are in 2nd and 3rd place. Barkli competed as the national team for Russia until 2014, and Black Cat has taken the top position since the beginning of the 2015 season.

Barkli had finished in 5th place in Prostejov 2014, and Black Cat won the silver medals for Russia at the World Cup in Teuge 2015. France was in 4th place in Prostejov and in 3rd place at last year's World Cup.

Qatar is ranked 27th, while the Tigers have become one of the best 4-way teams in the world. The United Arab Emirates, with national team Dubai Asaar Black, are in 12th place.

The main reason for the unrealistic outcome of the FAI rankings is the fact that the organization's calculation is based only on the rankings at two events in the past four years: World Championships and World Cups/European Championships.

Arizona Airspeed won gold and silver medals at the last two World Meets (2012 - 2014) and did not attend the World Cups, and the same counts for Canada.

It was easier for the European teams to attend the World Cups with hosts only in Europe since 2005.

The guidelines for the FAI rankings actually include other events ("Regional Championship"), which have the same lower "Importance" in the calculation as the World Cups.

However, only the results at European Championships have made it into the FAI rankings so far, and they have always taken place at the same time and the same location as the World Cups...