posted Aug 8th, 2016 - Nothing changed in France after the first five rounds of the national championships last week. The national 4-way Open Class lineup defended the top position successfully, and the French Girls had to accept their first unofficial and internal defeat since the personnel change after the FAI World Cup 2015.

The Open Class team even extended the 3-point lead after Round 5 to eight points. However, the French Girls still ended up with the highest average (22.6) in the French 4-way Women history, disregarding the 23.6 average at the World Meet 2010 in Menzelinsk, where all 4-way teams benefitted from two very fast sequences in the 10-round draw.

Only the Golden Knights have ever scored higher in a 10-round competition without any super sequences, when they posted the 22.7 average at the World Air Games 2015.

French Nationals 2016		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	12,P,13	2,6,9	3,C,L,16	N,J,B,11	G,7,4	14,A,O,1	E,D,5,17	21,19,Q	10,22,15	8,M,20	Total	Avg
1	France 4-way Open	19	24	19(-2)	31	24	20(-1)	36	23	17	21	234	23.4
2	French Girls	18	21	23	29	23(-1)	21	32(-1)	22	17	20	226	22.6
3	Espoir Saumur Weembi	15	17	17	23	18	17	28	19	13	16	183	18.3
4	Espoir Maubeuge Weembi	9	14	11	17	14	14	20	14	11	14	138	13.8
5	Armee de l'Air Nice	8	11	10	14	12	10	13	11	7	9	105	10.5
6	Air Celtic LVR	1	4	4	3	7	3	1	5	4	4	36	3.6

The results at the French Nationals 2016 don't speak against the French Girls, who are still in the same strong position to defend their gold medals successfully at the Mondial 2016. The numbers are more a strong statement of the new French national team in 4-way Open.

Coach Marin Ferre has once again guided his team through a quick progression after taking over the new job at the end of the 2014 season. He had been working with the French Girls since 2009 and was newly assigned to the Open Class team by national coaches Jeremie Rollett and Mathieu Bernier.

It seems like France, potential top contender for this year's bronze medals at the Mondial, has even reduced the distance to the very top level of 4-way competition, where NMP PCH HayaBusa is the reigning world champion and Arizona Airspeed the challenger.

FAI World Meet 2010			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class		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	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
4	ISB Air	DE	16	15	39	13	13	15	16	14	28	11	180	18.0
5	Polaris	NO	14	12	30	11	14	12	14	15	22	15	159	15.9
6	Prygalky	RU	13	10	21	13	13	12	10	13	17	12	134	13.4
7	Sweden	SE	9	7	20	9	11	8	11	11	16	-	102	11.3
8	China	CN	9	9	17	5	6	6	11	8	15	-	86	9.6

The French national teams did not get a faster second half of the 10-round meet last week, as it would have been for NMP PCH HayaBusa at their national championships or for Airbus at their recent regional competition. The second half of the draw at the French Nationals created a similar total as the first half did.

HayaBusa and Airspeed were miles ahead of both French national 4-way teams at the World Meet 2014 in Prostejov, and they will most likely once again leave only the battle for the bronze medals for all other teams. However, the distance might be different this year.

There is also still the big question mark behind Canada's reigning 4-way bronze medalist Evolution, and Russia's Black Cat have not posted any outdoor scores this year, as well. Fact is at this point in time that the French national 4-way teams will be ready to rumble at Skydive Chicago...