posted Sep 15th, 2021 - It was a difficult year for the French 4-way teams. The date for the national championships was changed twice, first from June to August, then to September, all caused by the impact of the corona virus pandemic in France. It was difficult for any teams to make plans.

At the same time, national coach Mathieu Bernier was very busy with the preparations of his Formation Skydiving delegation for the FAI Tanay Mondial 2020. The NSL News has covered the French situation and the results comprehensively.

The national championships eventually took place in Pamiers last week, and the participation was as weak as it had to be expected. However, the five AAA Class teams that made it to the event still created a very interesting leaderboard with their colorful lineups.

Mathieu Bernier himself joined forces with three of his 8-way team mates. Gaelle Giesen, Damien Gouriou and Alban Rumolo, with David Ricard on camera, had missed the world's 8-way top spot by one single point (165 - 166) after only seven rounds in Russia, with the national coach in the lineup, as well.

---

French Outdoor Nationals 2021			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class		17,F,8	11,20,1	N,H,A,12	14,6,O	16,2,21	P,K,B,5	4,15,3	C,18,E,L	D,J,G,19	9,Q,10	Total	Avg
1	Aerodyne Cypres Lille	FR	19	17	22	18	17	25	16	22	24	22	202	20.2
2	Saumur Espoirs Moselle	FR	12	15	19	17	15	16	12	22	18	19	165	16.5
3	Maubeuge Aérokart Moselle	FR	16	13	16	12	14	18	11	15	17	14	146	14.6
4	Monaco Aerokart	FR	11	11	11	12	13	11	9	11	14	11	114	11.4
5	Be 4	FR	6	5	11	10	9	11	9	9	11	7	88	8.8

---

Aerodyne Cypres Lille - Saumur Espoirs Moselle at the French Outdoor Nationals 2021

---

Gaelle Giesen was in the French 4-way Women lineup, as well, the defending world champions of Australia 2018. She had to digest the additional 2-point loss to the Russian Bubbles in 4-way Women. A total of three points, after seven rounds in 8-way and six rounds in 4-way Women, separated her from the gold medals positions in both events and from the planned FAI double-gold success.

The two members of the French 4-way Open lineup, Damien Gouriou and Alban Rumolo, who had David Ricard also on camera in their 4-way event, did not have to suffer as much as their 4-way Women team mate at the national championships. National coach Mathieu Bernier did not expect them to win FAI medals this year, as the main focus was on 8-way competition, with the hope of gold in 4-way Women at the same time.

Their other team mates of the 8-way lineup at the world meet did not compete at the national championships, and the mixed 4-way lineup completed all ten rounds in Pamiers.

There was actually one more 4-way competitor at the French Nationals who had also traveled to Tanay with the French delegation. Jessica Thebault was the alternate for the 4-way Women team. She has been training and competing with the French B-teams in the past years and was eventually selected for the French national indoor team in 4-way Women, the Nephtys Weembi.

---

---

Maubeuge Aerokart Moselle - Monaco Aerokart at the French Outdoor Nationals 2021

---

Jessica Thebault competed with three B-team members of the Espoir Saumur lineup, Elise Poindron, Loic Vieira and Mathieu Quizy, with Matthieu Roux on camera. Elise Poindron has been Jessica Thebault's team mate in the Nephtys Weembi lineup.

8-way members Gaelle Giesen, Aurelien Lemaire and Alban Rumolo all have their roots in the same Espoir Saumur B-team and trained and competed together before being selected for the French national teams in the respective events.

The French AAA Class leaderboard of the national championships has even more to offer. The lineup of the bronze medalists, Maubeuge Aérokart Moselle, included three members of the Aerokart Ak'demie junior team (Cameron Malie, Oscar Massier, Tom Mattoni) who started with 4-way competition in the French junior indoor project of 2014.

They trained and competed together until 2019, when they won the FAI 4-way Junior silver medals at the FAI Indoor World Meet behind the Czech HF Cubs. Then they launched their outdoor training and competition career, won the French AA Class title in 2020 and now the bronze medals in 4-way Open. Jean Baptiste Martin completed the lineup at the national championships, and David Ricard was on camera. The former juniors of Maubeuge Aérokart Moselle easily outscored the Monaco Aerokart team, with Tom Mattoni's father Stéphane still in the current lineup.