posted Jan 17th, 2017 - The Sun Path Products NSL News started with the update of the Team World Rankings 2016 with two stories. The first one covered the 4-way Open Class rankings at outdoor meets last year, followed by the 8-way outdoor rankings a few days later.

The outdoor rankings reflected the results of the FAI Mondial 2016 precisely, even though two of the ten best 4-way teams in the world (Golden Knights Gold, SDC Rhythm XP) could not compete at the event. They found their place instead in the Top 10 of the SKYLEAGUE.COM team rankings.

Two all-female teams (Golden Knights, French Weembi Girls) were also listed in the Top 10 since they are using the same competition draw as the 4-way Open Class teams at all events.

Team World Rankings 2016			Outdoor Meets	Av.
1	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	24.8 - 26.2	25.5
2	Arizona Airspeed	US	24.3 - 25.4 - 26.5	25.4
3	France 4-way Open	FR	23.7 - 23.4 - 23.8	23.6
4	Black Cat	RU	23.1 - 21.6	22.4
4	Golden Knights F4	US	22.4	22.4
6	Golden Knights Gold	US	22.3	22.3
7	France Women	FR	22.1 - 22.6 - 21.7	22.1
7	Qatar Tigers	QA	21.5 - 22.6	22.1
7	SDC Rhythm XP	US	20.4 - 23.8	22.1
10	Evolution	CA	21.4	21.4

The indoor rankings are significantly different compared to the outdoor rankings. The French Girls moved up from 7th to 2nd place, while the Golden Knights had to allow their Gold indoor lineup to pass and take the 3rd place of the world rankings.

The Golden Knights Gold team posted their 28.2 average at the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship 2016 where they had Jesse Stahler in the lineup for Jen Davidson who competed with her own team.

Arizona Airspeed is not only missing in the Top 10 spots. The U.S. 4-way champion did not attend any indoor meets in 2016 and does not appear anywhere in the rankings. This gave another U.S. team the opportunity to take the 10th place. The Perris Fury reunion at Paraclete had resulted in a 26.3 average, which pushed the Qatar Tigers to the 11th place.

Team World Rankings 2016			Indoor Meets	Av.
1	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	29.2 - 32.0 - 30.6	30.6
2	France Women	FR	28.6 - 27.9	28.3
3	Golden Knights Gold	US	28.2	28.2
4	France 4-way Open	FR	27.6 - 27.9	27.8
5	Golden Knights F4	FR	27.6	27.6
6	Weembi Lille	FR	25.6 - 26.6 - 25.3 - 30.2	27.5
7	Thunder ISR	BE	24.7 - 26.4 - 29.3	26.8
7	SDC Rhythm XP	US	26.8 - 26.8	26.8
9	Black Cat	RU	25.5 - 27.5	26.5
10	Perris Fury	US	26.3	26.3

Only two teams finished the 2016 season with the same placing in both Top 10 rankings: NMP PCH HayaBusa (1st) and SDC Rhythm XP (7th). The Belgian indoor and outdoor world champions have now been undefeated for over two years.

Canada's Evolution lineup of 2014 took advantage of HayaBusa's personnel change at the end of the 2014 season and outscored the brand-new Belgian lineup with Jeroen Nollet at the 5th Dubai International Parachuting Championship.

However, there is another very eager world class 4-way team aiming at the indoor top spot, which made their way into the Top 10: Weembi Lille.

HayaBusa was barely able to fend off the Weembi attack at the FAI Indoor World Cup 2016, and the next showdown is coming soon. Both teams will meet each other again at the Wind Games (February) and the French Indoor Nationals (March), and Weembi is competing with the same world champion lineup...