posted Apr 18th, 2016 - The 4-way Open Class competition at the World Challenge 2016 did not only include the next NMP PCH Hayabusa winning party and the impressive performance by the French FLY-IN Girls. It was also a very interesting step on the road to a set of word meet medals for a few other teams.

Gold and silver medals seem to be in solid possession of NMP PCH Hayabusa and Arizona Airspeed, disregarding the outcome between the two top contenders. However, the race for the bronze medals seems to become a most exciting one - which it was already in Bedford.

The French national team in 4-way Open has been in the shadow of the French FLY-IN Girls since both teams were put together after the World Meet 2014 in Prostejov, where the French Girls won and the Open Class team missed a medal for the first time in modern history of Formation Skydiving competition (1985).

World Challenge 2016			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class		P,2,10	8,F,15	G,14,17	L,H,E,13	M,7,O,1	16,21,11	N,D,4,9	18,20,A	G,19,3	C,K,B,22	Total	Avg
3	FLY-IN France	FR	24	26	26	34	32	23	33	23	27	28	276	27.6
4	Qatar Tigers	QA	22	26	25	31	34	23	33	23	27	31	275	27.5
4	Black Cat	RU	21	26	25	33	31	22	33	25	26	33	275	27.5
8	Satori XL	UK	23	25	22	30	29	20	33	24	24	28	258	25.8

Not much has changed, as the new French Open Class lineup has recently still ended up behind the 4-way Women team after winning the first two internal French showdowns last year. However, a closer look at the situation between the potential bronze medal contenders at this year's Mondial 2016 is showing a much more promising picture for FLY-IN.

The French Open Class team finished ahead of the Russian national team Black Cat for the first time since the new lineup came together.

Black Cat had won the silver medals at the 1st FAI World Indoor Skydiving Championships and then the bronze medals at the World Air Games 2015. Russia is one of the top contenders for the bronze medals this year.

France FLY-IN also outscored the Qatar Tigers who were ahead at the last two meets that both teams attended (Clash of Champions, World Air Games). It was a very close race between the national teams from France, Russia and Qatar in Bedford, however, France is back in medal contention in 4-way Open.

Laurence Herve is a reigning world champion in 4-way Women and became the first French female competitor in the national Open Class team when she was selected in 2015. Damien Gouriou was in the French Open Class lineup Volt'R of 2013 and 2014, while Charles Rommel and Kevin Mansion trained and competed with the French 8-way team Venturi in the same time period.

Marin Ferre has been coaching the new 4-way Open Class lineup, after two years of the previous lineup with player coaches Mathieu Bernier and Julien Degen.

Mathieu Bernier has recently been working with the French FLY-IN Girls.

There is an additional contender for the 3rd place at the Mondial 2016, the reigning bronze medalist, Evolution from Canada, who have not competed this year yet with the current lineup. Three team members posted a 25.8 average at the Canadian Indoor Nationals 2016, with Nick Grillet in the lineup for Vincent Lemay. There could be five bronze medal contenders this year, and one of them would not event make it to the finals in Round 10...