posted Mar 25th, 2024 - French national coach Mathieu Bernier brought his national 4-way delegation, Aethers (4-way Open) and Nephtys (4-way Women), to Florida this month for training and competition. Both teams completed the desired amount of training jumps before the Shamrock Showdown 2023, where they could measure their outdoor starting position at the beginning of the world championship season.

The NSL News reported the bad luck of Aethers with the Shamrock preview on March 12th. Outside center Tom Mattoni broke a few bones of his right foot at an out-landing on the first training jump in the morning. He traveled back to France for the necessary medical treatment, and Mathieu Bernieu completed training and competition in his slot.

The bad news arrived in France while 4-way teams in Tom Mattoni's home country were in their final preparations for the national indoor championship, which was scheduled for the same weekend as the Shamrock Showdown. Outdoor training and competition were more meaningful for Mathieu Bernier and his French national teams, who do not have to qualify for FAI events once they are selected by national coach and federation. The 2024 season brings the indoor world Cup (April) and the outdoor world championship (October) to the national teams, and outdoor training requires significantly more time than indoor training. Teams can practice indoors all year long, including the winter season, while the outdoor season is limited to the time when the weather situation allows it.

Shamrock Showdown 2024			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class		G,5,19		7,12,15		18,21,Q		17,16,A		E,L,22,11		2,10,M		F,6,N,9		J,13,O,8		C,K,H,P,B		D,20,4		Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	US	27		22		23		27	-2	25		23		34		25		53	-5	23		282	28.2
2	Aethers	FR	21	-1	18		22		24	-1	21		20	-1	29		22		42	-1	20		239	23.9
3	Golden Knights	US	23	-1	17	-2	18	-3	24	-1	21		21		27	-4	19	-2	40	-2	19		229	22.9
4	SDC Rhythm XP	US	19		16		18		22		19		17	-1	27	-1	22		39	-1	17	-1	216	21.6
5	Nephtys	FR	14		16		17		18		17		17		20	-3	20		31	-2	17		187	18.7
6	Chicken Bolts	US	17		14		12	-2	15	-3	13	-1	16		21	-1	16		29	-4	16		169	16.9
7	Thyra	NO	10	-2	9	-1	10	-1	12	-2	14		15		19	-1	16		23		10		138	13.8
8	Teiwaz	US	8	-1	11		11		13		11		11		15		8		14	-1	10		112	11.2

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Aethers - Nephtys at the Shamrock Showdown 2024

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National coach Mathieu Bernier knew that his 4-way Open Class team was ready to challenge Arizona Airspeed at indoor competition, and meeting the reigning world champions at the Shamrock Showdown for outdoor competition would provide precious information after the last outdoor duel at the 23rd FAI World Cup of Formation Skydiving in Norway.

Aethers with Mathieu Bernier were not far away from the French team's performance level with the complete lineup, and they could still watch Arizona Airspeed in action. Tom Mattoni is in the middle of his recovery efforts and will be back for indoor training before the team's trip to China for the indoor world cup.

Tom Mattoni was back in France early enough to follow his brother's indoor performance at the French indoor nationals while he was keeping his eyes on the outdoor action of Aethers at the Shamrock Showdown. Noe Mattoni's 4-way junior team won the French bronze medals in 4-way Open behind Nice Autrement and Once Pakoi.

French Indoor Nationals 2024			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class		13,E,A,4	B,8,18	12,M,P,L	G,C,H,3	O,21,F,N	7,5,14	19,6,15	1,D,16	K,17,11	10,2,9	Total	Avg
1	Unicorns Weembi	INT	27	21	30	30	29	24	23	24	29	22	259	25.9
2	FCUK Weembi	INT	28	22	26	27	31	22	21	25	26	21	249	24.9
3	Nice Autrement	FR	27	17	28	30	30	23	23	24	23	16	241	24.1
4	Once Pakoi	FR	26	21	23	24	26	22	21	21	23	20	227	22.7
5	Aerokart Ak'demie Monaco 1	FR	23	21	21	24	28	21	19	20	16	20	213	21.3
6	Aerokart Monaco Deep Blue	FR	22	18	23	16	27	19	18	21	19	17	200	20.0
7	Oblivion Weembi	FR	20	16	21	23	25	20	16	20	18	18	197	19.7
8	Aerokart Ak'demie Monaco 2	FR	19	16	14	18	21	17	15	14	15	16	165	16.5
9	4Ever Nancy Pau	FR	18	15	18	16	23	13	15	16	14	13	161	16.1
10	Fly4Smile Nancy	FR	16	12	14	16	20	16	12	16	15	14	151	15.1

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Aerokart Ak'demie Monaco - Aerokart Monaco Deep Blue at the French Indoor Nationals 2024

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Stephane Mattoni was in 4-way action at the same time when Aethers competed in Florida and Noe Mattoni took the bronze medals away from his father, who competed with three former world champions in 4-way Women.

The current Nephtys members are aiming at the same goal that Sophie Deremaux-Boulogne, Berangere Duplouy and Francoise Simons-Hamouchi accomplished in Menzelinsk 2010. The world-champion 3-way offered Stephane Mattoni the 4th slot, as their 4th team member of 2010, Amelie Tirman, was not available.

The whole Mattoni family was supposed to be in 4-way competition action in three different teams and at two different locations on the same weekend. Unfortunately, Tom Mattoni was only a spectator this time.

Deep Blue member Francoise Simons-Hamouchi had a family member at the indoor competition, as well. Her son Eliott Simons-Hamouchi competed with the second Aerokart Ak'demie team at their first AAA Class event with the current lineup. Aerokart Ak'demie 1 finished 13 points ahead of Deep Blue, who took the 4th place on the French leaderboard.

The situation on the top of the AAA Class leaderboard was similar to the one in Germany a week earlier. Two guest teams, Unicorns Weembi and FCUK Weembi, both with their player-coach Julien Degen, outscored the French indoor champions, Nice Autrement, who had once again their own former 4-way world champions in the lineup, Julien Losantos, Davide Moy and Erwan Pouliquen.