posted Oct 22nd, 2024 - The situation of Arizona Airspeed after winning the 4-way Open Class gold medals at the 26th FAI World Formation Skydiving Championships was well explained during the NSL Live Talk conversation with the team on October 11th. NMP PCH HayaBusa's plans for the next two years were already announced earlier this year, and yesterday's story followed up with more information.

The same two top contenders for FAI medals will be facing the 4-way Open Class teams from France (Aethers) and Qatar (Tigers) in the same race for the next three sets of world championship medals in two years. All four teams have the same goal with aiming at the 1st place only, and the rankings in two years cannot be predicted at all at this point in time.

Arizona Airspeed's Chris Kuhlmann and Joey Marshall have to integrate two new team mates as quickly and smoothly as possible, with the beginning of training for the new lineup in December. NMP PCH HayaBusa carefully laid out their plans for the next three years of the new lineup at the beginning of the 2024 season and will just continue as planned. The Qatar Tigers have shown no indication of any changes.

The French Aethers have three years behind them, and national coach Mathieu Bernier confirmed that there are two more years waiting for the same lineup. Mathieu Bernier expressed some disappointment during the NSL Live Talk with Carl-Erik Tuv at the end of the first competition day and four rounds. However, Aethers eventually ended up matching more Airspeed scores than any other team at a competition in the same three years, and they will continue.

FAI Outdoor World Meet 2022			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open Top 4		20,16,B		P,D,21,13		17,K,11		E,A,19,22		2,9,M		C,14,F,12		3,6,18		4,10,1		8,Q,O,H		5,7,J		Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	US	21	-1	28		27		27		31		23		21		20		32		31		261	26.1
2	NMP-PCH Hayabusa	BE	20	-1	25	-2	21		23		28		20	-2	19		17		29		26		228	22.8
3	Qatar Tigers	QA	19	-2	23	-1	22	-1	21	-1	26		18		17	-1	17		28		28		219	21.9
4	Aethers	FR	19		23	-1	22		23		27		20	-1	18		15	-1	20	-5	27	-1	214	21.4

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Arizona Airspeed - France Aethers at the FAI Outdoor World Championship 2022, Video Footage Courtesy of FAI/InTime/Omniskore

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In fact, just by the numbers at the outdoor world championship and the plans for the next two years, Aethers have arguably slipped into the top position of the same four contenders from United States, France, Qatar and Belgium.

Aethers were two years behind the 2-time world champions of Arizona Airspeed when they started with their training and competition together. The last Airspeed lineup came together in 2020 and had three years of time to get ready for their first outdoor world championship in Eloy 2022. Aethers had only one year when Mathieu Bernier selected the new lineup after the previous event in Tanay 2021. Result of the short time frame to catch up was the disappointing 4th place in 4-way Open for France in Eloy 2022, where the current lineup finished in 4th place, 47 points behind Airspeed who won all ten rounds over NMP PCH HayaBusa, Qatar Tigers and Aethers.

Two years later, the Aethers were back at Crystal Coast with the same lineup and coach Mathieu Bernier. They finished in 2nd place, tied Airspeed scores four times and were only 21 points behind the winner this time. Aethers actually defeated the other two top contenders from Qatar and Belgium just as clearly by 24 points over the Tigers in 3rd place. Qatar Tigers and NMP PCH HayaBusa will most likely continue with the same lineups, and they are starting from far behind the French team, while Arizona Airspeed will come back with two new team members. French coach Mathieu Bernier might have expected more from his team at Crystal Coast, however, the near future of the next two years looks quite promising for him.

FAI Outdoor World Championship 2024			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		14,G,13		J,C,17,12		D,A,21,P		18,B,H,F		E,L,O,8		22,2,K		6,7,16		9,20,15		3,M,N,4		5,1,10		Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	US	24		27	-1	33		36		31		23		26		26		25		22	-1	273	27.3
2	Aethers	FR	22		23	-4	33		32	-1	29		23		22		21		25		22		252	25.2
3	Qatar Tigers	QA	21		20	-3	26	-2	32		29	-1	20		21		20		19	-2	20		228	22.8
4	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	19		21	-2	25		25		25	-1	20		19		17		21	-1	20		212	21.2

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Arizona Airspeed - France Aethers at the FAI Outdoor World Championship 2024, Video Footage Courtesy of FAI/ISC/InTime

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Mathieu Bernier wants the William H. Ottley Sword for the 4-way world champions, also known as the 4-way Excalibur, back in France just as much as HayaBusa members David Grauwels, Dennis Praet and Jeroen Nollet are eager to win their next world championship title, together with their new team mates Neal Willems and Ray Lodens.

The current French national coach was in the lineup who won the last FAI gold medals in 4-way Open for France in Menzelinsk 2010, under the guidance of national coach Jerome David by then. Together they accomplished the previous FS Sweep for France that the U.S. delegation just completed at Crystal Coast, as well.

It is very unlikely that France could repeat the FS Sweep any time soon, however, the next set of gold medals are probably more than in reach for the French Aethers. Mathieu Bernier actually also knows from his own experiences how to turn a 2nd place into gold medals within two years.

His own lineup in 4-way Open (Jeremie Rollett, Guillaume Bernier, Julien Degen, with Fabrice Rieu and Olivier Henaff on camera) placed 2nd after two years together in Maubeuge 2008. After two more years together, they brought 4-way Excalibur from Russia to France, together with the 8-way sword, with Mathieu Bernier in the lineup after double duties and double-gold. Aethers will have five years together at the next outdoor world championship, the same time frame that Arizona Airspeed had to win their two sets of gold medals. The pressure is on the French Aethers now.

Lineups of French national teans in 4-way Open since 2007

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