posted Apr 9th, 2023 - The preview of the FAI Indoor World Championship 2023 continues with the situation of the teams who are expected to be in the Top 10 area of the 4-way Open Class leaderboard.

The medal positions are not in reach for the majority of the teams, which is nothing unusual in any sport. There is still more than enough exciting competition for everybody, and the previous NSL News preview took a closer look at the contenders for the highest ranking position behind the full-time competitors in the expected Top 4 spots.

The group of five teams who are expected to battle for the 5th place is closely connected to the next group that happens to consist of arguably five teams, as well. The first group in contention for the 5th place will also be challenged by these next five teams who may have only one open Top 10 position available.

Both groups will probably be even closer to each other when it comes to the battle for the precious 10th place. The four medal contenders and the five teams in competition for the 5th place together are potentially leaving one open slot for the last Top 10 finisher. However, any of the same five teams behind the medal contenders with an average performance could probably be outscored by a peak performer of the next five Top 10 contenders at the same time.

FAI Indoor World Championship 2023			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open Power Rankings		TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	US	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2	France 4-way Open	FR	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2	NMP-PCH Hayabusa	BE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
4	Qatar Tigers	QA	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5	Jochen Schweizer Arena Airfource	DE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5	Echochamber Oceanside	SE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5	HF Flying Circus	CZ	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5	Meraki	UK	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5	Papea	ES	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
10	Out of the Blue	NL	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
10	INIT-Y	BR	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
10	FLY X	IT	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
10	Purple Maze	FI	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
10	Realfly Fire	CH	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
15	Agera	NO	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
15	Bronteroc	HU	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
15	FlySpot Sky4Four	PL	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
18	Magic 4	LT	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
19	Red Bull Aerodynamix	AT	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

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Out Of The Blue at Weembi Lille 2019 and Airspace Charleroi 2022

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Dutch team Out Of The Blue is the only expected Top 10 contender who competed for their country at the previous indoor world championship at Weembi Lille 2019, as well. OOTB was also the most improved team at the FAI Indoor World Cup 2022, where they finished in 7th place for the Netherlands, after the 15th place in 2019.

It will yet be difficult for the Dutch team to copy the 7th place finish of 2022, as three of the five contenders for the 5th place were ahead of OOTB in Charleroi last year, Echochamber will compete with a potentially stronger lineup, and the German Airfource will be back on the 4-way Open Class leaderboard.

The Dutch national team will also have to work hard to take at least the last open Top 10 position. Brazil's INIT-Y are back to correct the inconsistency at last year's indoor world cup, where they had very strong rounds taking turns with a few weaker ones.

Italy (FLY X), Finland (Purple Maze) and Switzerland (Realfly Fire) will be represented by different teams than in 2019, and all three new national teams have shown their potential to finish in the Top 10 with their performances in 2022 and this year.

FAI Indoor World Championship 2019			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		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	NMP-PCH Hayabusa	BE	39		36		42		35		27		32		29		42	-1	38		31		351	35.1
2	Weembi High Rollers	FR	38	-2	33	-1	44		32	-1	27		29	-1	26	-2	47		37		31		344	34.4
3	Arizona Airspeed	US	39		33		40		30		27		29		24	-3	39		33		27		321	32.1
4	Qatar Tigers	QA	34		30	-2	36		29		22	-3	27	-1	28		36		32		28		302	30.2
5	Airheads	CH	35		28	-1	33	-2	29		25		27		24	-1	36		30		25	-1	292	29.2
6	Black Cat	RU	34		29		39	-1	29		25		22	-2	25	-1	36	-1	26	-3	22	-2	287	28.7
7	Echochamber	SE	34		27	-1	35		26	-1	22	-2	25		20	-5	35		26	-3	24	-1	274	27.4
8	ACM Weembi	UK	32	-1	28		32	-2	26	-1	20	-1	24		19	-2	35		26		25		267	26.7
9	Airfource	DE	33	-3	22	-1	33	-1	25		22	-1	23		20	-3	35	-2	25	-1	24	-1	262	26.2
10	HF Flying Circus	CZ	31		26		28	-1	23		24		22		18	-2	33		19	-5	23		247	24.7
11	Pro Team	FI	27	-2	24		30		23		23		22		22		30		23	-3	22	-1	246	24.6
12	Monaco Indoor Skydive Team	MC	27	-1	21		27	-2	23		20		22		21		29		21		21		232	23.2
13	FlySpot Sky4Four	PL	27	-1	23		28	-1	23		19	-2	20	-1	20		29		21	-1	21	-1	231	23.1
14	Papea Masculino	ES	28	-2	23		26	-1	16	-3	21	-1	20	-1	21		30	-1	23	-2	22		230	23.0
15	Out of the Blue	NL	24		22		27		19	-1	19		19		18		27		24		20	-1	219	21.9
16	H40	IE	22	-1	19		23		17		18		17	-1	17	-1	24		20		19		196	19.6
17	Skydive University Slovakia	SK	23	-2	19		23	-1	17	-2	18		17	-1	14	-3	22		19		17	-2	189	18.9
18	Magic 4	LT	26		15	-1	19	-5	15	-2	17		16	-3	17	-1	21		-		-		146	18.3

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Airheads - Airfource at Weembi Lille 2019

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The Swiss national indoor team of 2019, Airheads, are not competing for their country this year and offer their 5th place to the next team behind the medal contenders. However, the German Airfource did not compete in Charleroi last year and will most likely be back in the Top 10, probably in contention for the 5th place.

The new Swiss national team in 4-way Open, Realfly Fire, will probably not be ready to copy the 5th place for Switzerland, however, they will surely try to finish in the Top 10, as well.

Then there is the Italian national team that the NSL News introduced on 16 November 2022. The FLY X lineup can use their combination of a wealth of competition experiences and talent to beat their own 25+ average of November 2022. Italy may have the strongest contender for the contested Top 10 position.

Purple Maze from Finland, who replace the Pro Team, are neither short of competition experiences and talent. Two current team members (Emilia Sormunen, Eija Suvala) competed at the previous indoor world meet and finished in 11th place with the Pro Team, one single point behind the 10th place. They will try again in Slovakia, where the competition could be even tougher.

FAI Indoor World Cup 2022			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open by Country		O,18,14		L,C,F,9		1,J,H,19		3,E,P,Q		20,7,16		2,13,8		17,D,6		N,22,A,G		12,5,11		M,21,4		Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	US	29		54	-3	35		41		29		25		39		37		27		30		346	34.6
2	Aerokart Monaco Akdemie	FR	25	-1	58		28	-3	39	-2	25		25		33		32		24		28	-2	317	31.7
3	NMP-PCH Hayabusa	BE	23	-1	54	-1	30	-1	38	-2	26		23		32		31	-1	24		28	-1	309	30.9
4	HF Flying Circus	CZ	21	-1	39	-3	27	-2	33	-1	20	-2	21		28	-1	27	-1	21		23	-2	260	26.0
5	Meraki	UK	19	-1	43		25	-1	30	-1	23		20		26		27		20		24		257	25.7
6	Papea Masculino	ES	20	-1	41	-1	26	-2	31		21	-1	17	-2	25	-1	27	-1	21		24		253	25.3
7	Out of the Blue	NL	20		39	-2	25		30		17	-2	19		27		23		18	-1	22		240	24.0
7	Echochamber Oceanside	SE	19	-1	43		24	-1	31		18	-2	17	-1	26		23		17	-2	22		240	24.0
9	Amnesya	IT	17	-1	33	-7	25		29	-1	21		19		24	-1	25		19		24		236	23.6
10	INIT-Y	BR	20	-2	39	-2	24	-1	22	-4	23		18	-1	27	-2	27		14	-3	20	-4	234	23.4
10	Windabona Black Mantis	AT	18	-1	39	-2	25		29		21		18	-1	25		23	-2	14	-2	22		234	23.4
12	Bronteroc	HU	19		41		24		31		19		15	-3	22	-2	24		18	-1	20	-2	233	23.3
13	Equinox	LT	14	-4	34		21	-2	25		19		14	-1	21		16	-3	15	-1	22		201	20.1
14	Flyboys	IL	16		26	-3	16	-3	16	-4	15	-2	14	-1	20	-1	16	-2	12	-1	19	-1	170	17.0

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FLY X in November 2022 - INIT-Y at Airspace Charleroi

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