posted Jun 12th, 2022 - This year's situation in the FAI/ISC 4-way Women category is probably the most unknown territory in the horizontal Formation Skydiving competition world. The world's arguably strongest teams in this event have not met each other directly at international meets, which have offered insights and competition practice and experiences in the past.

Worldwide health and political crises have made it more difficult to run and attend events where teams have the opportunities to enjoy the live atmosphere and direct competition with potential opponents. It was at the FAI Indoor World Meet 2019 where the world's strongest teams in 4-way Women last represented their countries (France, Great Britain, United States, Russia, China) at the same place and at the same time.

The French national outdoor team in 4-way Women and NFTO competed at the FAI Outdoor World Cup 2019, as well, and NFTO ended up farther behind France than at Weembi Lille in April, where the Nephtys won by only two points.

There was neither any FAI/ISC outdoor nor indoor event in 2020, and the FAI Tanay Mondial 2020 in August 2021 had only four teams travel to Russia for the 4-way Women competition. Bubbles outscored the French top contender surprisingly by two points and became the first Russian 4-way Women world champions, after the 4th place at the indoor world meet in 2019. NFTO and XPG4 did not compete in Tanay.

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FAI Indoor World Meet 2019			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Women		M,K,D,14		Q,4,5		P,E,9,15		3,N,G,2		6,1,8		F,12,11		13,22,J		H,L,B,18		O,20,A,17		21,7,19		Total	Avg
1	Nephtys Weembi	FR	34		27		35		25		23		25		23		33	-1	31		24		280	28.0
2	NFTO	UK	34		26	-1	34		28	-1	23		24		24		34		28	-1	23	-2	278	27.8
3	XPG4	US	34		26		33		24		21	-1	24		24		28	-4	25		23		262	26.2
4	Bubble Hubble	RU	29	-2	25	-2	33		24	-1	22		23		22		31		25		21	-2	255	25.5
5	China	CN	31	-3	26	-1	31		22	-2	23		24		22	-1	30	-3	22	-3	23	-2	254	25.4
6	Team X	SE	26		25		28	-1	24		20		22		23		28	-1	24		23		243	24.3
7	No Mercy	PL	29		22		25	-1	21		19		17	-1	21		23	-5	20	-1	22		219	21.9
8	Skynamite	DE	28	-1	20	-2	26		20		17	-1	17	-2	19		26		18	-2	19	-2	210	21.0
9	Voss Vind Girls	NO	27	-2	22		24	-1	18	-1	18		19		20		23	-1	19	-1	19		209	20.9

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Nephtys - NFTO - XPG4 at the FAI Indoor World Meet 2019

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The next competition with international participation was the FAI/ISC event was the FAI Indoor World Cup 2022, after World Challenge and Wind Games have not resumed their formerly popular events, and the restart of the Dubai events in December last year did not attract many teams.

The same three nations (France, Great Britain, United States), who had won the last FAI medals in 4-way Women at Weembi Lille, are probably sending once again the top contenders for this year's gold medals at the FAI Outdoor World Meet 2022.

It seems to be unlikely at this point in time that any teams from Russia will be able travel to the United States in October, including the officially reigning 4-way Women outdoor world champions, Bubbles. This means that Nephtys (France), NFTO (Great Britain) and XPG4 (United States) will once again compete for the three sets of FAI medals as they did at Weembi Lille in 2019.

Even the team names are the same as they were in April 2019. However, the lineups are not exactly the same, which creates a new situation for the outdoor competition this October.

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FAI Outdoor World Meet 2018			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Women		21,L,B,G		22,18,17		19,7,O		J,16,12		10,A,D,15		Q,M,F,C,N		H,20,P,13		6,14,11		E,2,5		4,1,3		Total	Avg
1	Aerodyne Weembi Girls	FR	29	-1	20		24		22		25		56	-1	23		18	-2	22		18	-1	257	25.7
2	NFTO	UK	20	-3	15		22	-1	19		18		38	-2	18		17		19		16		202	20.2
3	Team X	SE	17	-3	10	-3	18		16		14		36	-3	15	-3	13		18		12	-1	169	16.9
4	Phoenix XP	US	17	-2	12		17		14		15	-1	37		16	-1	12	-2	14	-2	13		167	16.7
4	Boomerang Betty	AU	19	-1	11	-1	18		14		15		32	-2	15		13		17		13		167	16.7
6	Fuzion Voltige	CA	17	-1	9	-2	18		14		15	-1	34	-2	14	-2	13	-2	14	-2	13		161	16.1
7	Skynamite	DE	19		12		16	-1	14		14	-1	27	-1	13	-3	12	-1	15		12	-1	154	15.4

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France 4-way Women - NFTO at the FAI Outdoor World Meet 2019

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Nephtys used to be the French national indoor team only in 2019. National coach Mathieu Bernier had separated indoor and outdoor training and competition in 4-way Women. He was aiming at double-gold in 8-way and 4-way Women with a different lineup at the outdoor world meet in Tanay.

The plan changed again this year. The Nephtys competed once again for France at the indoor world cup at Airspace Charleroi and finished 2nd behind the HF Cubs. Then they switched quickly to outdoor training and competition, as they will also represent France at the outdoor world meet in Eloy. Pamela Lissajoux, Elise Poindron and Jessica Thebault are back from the 2019 lineup, and Gaelle Giesen has replaced Clementine Le Bohec.

NFTO are in a similar situation. Anna Hicks, Vana Parker, Catherine Anderson and Sian Stokes trained and competed together for NFTO in 2018, with Simon Brentford on camera. Kate Lindsley replaced Catherine Anderson in 2019, Julia Swallow in 2020 and 2021. Catherine Curtis is now back with NFTO, and the 2018 lineup plan to turn the outdoor silver medals of Australia 2018 into gold this year, with the help of coach Andy Grauwels.

Last and not least is the U.S. team in 4-way Women, who had Jeana Billings and Michelle Karamon in the bronze-medal lineup of Weembi 2019. The XPG4 lineup has changed most of the three top contenders, not considering the Russian Bubbles. Anna Brunner and Brenn Richards have joined Jeana Billings and Michelle Karamon for indoor and outdoor training and competition, with Andres Mesa on camera. The 24.6 average of the new lineup at the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship 2022 indicates that Nephtys and NFTO have to expect XPG4 in contention for outdoor gold medals, as well.