posted Aug 26th, 2020 - It was in May 2018 when the French national 4-way Open Class team outscored the 4-way Women lineup last time. It was the previous lineup (Laurence Herve, Charles Rommel, Damien Gouriou, Kevin Mansion, David Ricard on camera), and it happened at the Coupe de France meet in Pamiers. Clementine Le Bohec, Pamela Lissajoux, Christine Malnis, Sophia Pecout and Michel Laynaud on camera turned it again at the FAI Outdoor World Meet 2018, where they won the gold medals in 4-way Women.

The French 4-way Open Class team won bronze medals in Australia, and Damien Gouriou and Kevin Mansion came back with a new lineup in 2019 (Aurelien Lemaire, Alban Rumolo). The 4-way Women lineup changed, as well, with Gaelle Giesen replacing Pamela Lissajoux. The 4-way Women team has kept the upper hand in the internal French duel ever since May 2018.

The new lineups of both teams then joined forces in the French national 8-way team, as the NSL News reported with several updates. The main focus has been 8-way training and competition, which was rewarded with an impressive showing and a 2nd place behind Russia at the FAI Outdoor World Cup 2019.

Mathieu Bernier was the engineer of the current French plan to win medals at the FAI Mondial 2020 next year in Tanay, Russia. He has been the French national coach since 2015, and he did not know by then that he would also be competing again for France. He recently stepped in when Clementine Praet did not continue.

---

French Outdoor Nationals 2020		1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	19,M,A,3		Q,K,22,O		L,18,E,20		P,4,10		16,8,14		G,12,B,2		13,N,7		17,1,H		Total	Avg
1	Aerodyne Cypres Maubeuge	25		23		18	-2	19		17	-1	20		22		22	-1	166	20.8
2	Aerodyne Cypres Lille	23		23		19		19		15		20		22		21		162	20.3
3	Espoir Weembi Saumur	19		15	-1	14	-1	15		13		13		17		17	-1	123	15.4
4	Mongolsfiers Annecy Pamiers	15		13		8	-3	10		11		12	-2	13		15	-1	97	12.1
5	No Check Saumur Pays de la Loire	11		13		11		10		9		12		13		12		91	11.4
6	St Flow Monaco	13		8		8		9		8	-1	9		13		12		80	10.0

---

French national teams in 4-way Women and 4-way Open at the French Outdoor Nationals 2020

---

Mathieu Bernier also did not know that he would compete again in 4-way when he decided to fill the open 8-way slot. It happened last weekend at the same French Nationals 2020, where the former Aerokart Ak'demie juniors attended their first outdoor competition together.

Pamela Lissajoux, who replaces Clementine Praet in the 4-way Women lineup, was not available, and Mathieu Bernier stepped in again for the eight rounds at the national championships, this time in 4-way. The three 4-way Women members with Mathieu Bernier maintained the upper hand over the 4-way Open Class team with a 4-point difference this time.

Mathieu Bernier, who is still the only Formation Skydiving competitor in history who won gold medals in 4-way and 8-way at the same world meet (Menzelinsk 2010), has been the French national coach since 2015, however, he has never really stopped training and competing himself.

He continued in 4-way with the Weembi High Rollers after succeeding Jeremie Rollett as the French national coach. The Weembi High Rollers indoor team, with Mathieu Bernier in the lineup, challenged even the 4-way indoor and outdoor world champions of NMP PCH HayaBusa at indoor events very seriously.

---

---

Mathieu Bernier with Weembi High Rollers at the World Challenge 2017 and with the French 8-way team at the FAI World Meet 2016

---

Mathieu Bernier stepped back from the Weembi High Rollers at the end of 2017 to focus on his job as the national coach and the preparations for the world meet in Australia 2018. Then he developed the new plan for the FAI Mondial 2020.

However, in the meantime, he had also competed again in 8-way. France sent a lineup of former 8-way world champions to the FAI Outdoor World Meet 2016, with national coach Mathieu Bernier in the lineup. The 8-way team won silver medals, while the Golden Knights finished far ahead in 1st place.

Mathieu Bernier is now back in 8-way as a full member of the current lineup. He will try as a competitor to achieve the goals that he has set as the national coach: gold medals in 8-way and 4-way Women. Last weekend, he teamed up with three members of the 4-way Women lineup who play major roles in this ambitious project.

Sophia Pecout, Christine Malnis and Gaelle Giesen will try to do what their national coach and 8-way team mate did in 2010, winning two gold medals in 4-way and 8-way at the same world meet. French teams were back in competition action after the corona crisis break, and both national 4-way teams posted their first 2020 scores. The national 8-way team did not compete last weekend.

---

---

Mathieu Bernier with the French national 4-way and 8-way teams at the FAI World Meet 2010

---