posted Apr 14th, 2017 - The aftermath of the World Challenge 2017 continues with another outstanding performance in Bedford and goes back to the French Indoor Nationals 2017, as well.

The French Weembi Girls were one of the six French teams who competed at both events and traveled north and across the English Channel two weeks after their national indoor championships in Lille.

It was once again a successful trip to Bedford for the French Girls after the 2nd place in the AAA/Open Class last year. The French national team in 4-way Women had signed up in the Open Class at the World Challenge 2016 to face tougher competition than in the female category. The World Challenge also offers cash prizes in the Open Class, which made it even better for the French Girls to finish in 2nd place.

Host Paul Mayer reduced the 4-way competition to only one leaderboard this year, and the three 4-way Women top contenders (French Weembi Girls, Volition, NFTO) all competed in 4-way Open, while they still had their own award ceremony and sets of medals at the end of the competition. French Girls (3rd) and Volition (9th) made the Top 10 on the unified leaderboard, NFTO finished 13th.

French Indoor Nationals 2017			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class		10,12,A	21,E,9	M,J,22,G	15,6,Q	4,N,14	19,2,F	18,A,16	D,20,3	B,17,8	P,13,K,1	Total	Avg
1	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	26	36	37	33	29	32	29	30(-2)	29(-1)	32	313	31.3
2	Weembi Lille	FR	26	34	35(-1)	33	29	31	28	28(-1)	27(-4)	29	300	30.0
3	French Weembi Girls	FR	26	32	33	29	25	29	27	25	29	28	283	28.3
4	RealFly-Sion	FR	22	32	33	27	24	28	26	27	29	26	274	27.4

World Challenge 2017			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class		D,B,6,22	12,E,17	20,G,C,10	N,M,15,H	Q,19,K,4	8,21,L	P,9,J,7	O,11,1	13,A,16	3,18,5	Total	Avg
1	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	33	29	29	46	34	28	47	28	28	29	331	33.1
2	Weembi Lille	FR	33	31	29	43	35	28	46	29	29	27	330	33.0
3	French Weembi Girls	FR	30	29	28	38	32	24	43	28	26	25	303	30.3
4	RealFly-Sion	FR	29	29	26	38	31	26	42	27	24	23	295	29.5

The French Weembi Girls knew that they would not be able to repeat the 2nd place finish of the World Challenge 2016. Weembi Lille, now the official French national indoor 4-way team for the FAI Indoor World Meet 2017, and NMP PCH HayaBusa had their names on the first two places without a doubt.

However, there was more than enough competition for the French Girls, in Lille and in Bedford both. The toughest opponent for the 3rd place behind the two best 4-way indoor teams in the world came from France, too.

RealFly-Sion, the French national team in 4-way Open, came to Lille after a very strong showing with a 30.3 average at the Wind Games 2017 where they had outscored the French Girls. The table turned again at the French Indoor Nationals where the French Girls took the 3rd place behind HayaBusa and Weembi.

Not only RealFly-Sion wanted the 3rd place two weeks later at the World Challenge. SDC Rhythm XP was ready to face the strong international competition in Bedford and finished with a new team record average.

The French Weembi Girls needed at least another top performance to defend the 3rd place on the Open Class leaderboard successfully, and they did exactly that.

In fact, the French national team in 4-way Women posted a 30.3 average which matched RealFly-Sion's finishing number at the Wind Games.

The 30.3 average at the World Challenge 2017 did not only win the 3rd place. It was also the first time that the French Weembi Girls broke through the 30-average benchmark. No other all-female team has ever done that in the history of the sport.

The Golden Knights owned the highest meet average with a 29.4 at the 1st FAI World Indoor Skydiving Championships, where the French Girls posted a 25.2 average with their brand-new lineup. The 30.3 average in Bedford has now set a new standard in 4-way Women, and the French Girls keep orienting themselves on the Open Class leaderboard. There is no serious competition in sight after the retiring of the Golden Knights...