posted Nov 4th, 2024 - It had never happened in the history of Formation Skydiving competition that the three 4-way Open Class medal winners finished in the same order in consecutive outdoor world championships since 1985 - until 2016/2018. France, United States and Norway kept their hands on the FAI medals between 1999 and 2003, while the ranking order changed in the three events.

Eventually it happened in 2016 and 2018 when the national 4-way Open Class teams from Belgium, United States and France finished in exactly the same order. However, this unusual and rare continuity was over again after Australia 2018 when the Qatar Tigers forced their way into the medal positions and pushed France out to the 4th place in Tanay 2021.

Arizona Airspeed were next to interfere with the previous order and changed the rankings in Eloy 2022. The situation was the same at Crystal Coast this year, where the Aethers took back a medal position for France. It became the first time since 2010 that NMP PCH HayaBusa did not win a medal for Belgium since they appeared for the first time on the FAI world championship leaderboard in 2008. At least the bronze medal position has always offered a battlefield for nations who may not contend for the gold medals. Only three nations (United States, France, Belgium) have shared the 21 sets of gold medals since 1985. Canada (1985) and Russia (1989) placed 2nd once, as well, while national 4-way Open Class teams from eleven countries were able to conquer the 3rd place.

FAI medal winners in horizontal 4-way Formation Skydiving competition since 1985

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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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4-way Open Top 4 at Crystal Coast 2024

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Canada's Lemay family team Evolution won the last FAI bronze medals for the countries that are not considered the "powerhouses" in Formation Skydiving competition in Prostejov 2014. Belgium, Russia and France had already shown the direction of the bronze medal situation in 2008, 2010 and 2012. It has become very difficult for the world's "amateur 4-way teams" to keep up with the full-time medal contenders.

The five "powerhouse" teams (United States, France, Russia, Belgium, Qatar) already took the Top 5 positions in 2016, and only the absence of Russia reduced this special group of 4-way Open Class teams to four, which has not changed ever since. However, this separation between the professional top level and the world's more or less recreational amateur teams into currently four, and then the race for the unofficial amateur world championship title, still offers exciting competition, as one of the Top 4 will leave the competition site of the respective world championship empty-handed. All of the current top contenders leave no doubt that they want to win the gold medals, or take home at least any set of FAI medals in 4-way Open.

The teams on the world's top level usually make plans for at least two years with their current lineups or after necessary changes with a new lineup. The logistical and physical preparations begin almost the day after the award ceremony of the last world championship, or have already started before the conclusion of the previous event. The two years between Crystal Coast 2024 and the next outdoor world championship in 2026 will feature this exciting situation between the same contenders for FAI medals from United States, France, Qatar and Belgium, and the NSL News will cover the development on the top level as usual.

FAI Outdoor World Championship 2022			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		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	France 4-way Open	FR	19		23	-1	22		23		27		20	-1	18		15	-1	20	-5	27	-1	214	21.4

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4-way Open Top 4 in Eloy 2022

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The Top 4 of the 4-way world will go through very different approaches to the next world championship in 2026, while there are similarities, as well. Arizona Airspeed and NMP PCH HayaBusa both have two 4-way world champions in their lineup who will try to guide their new team mates back to the gold medal level, Chris Kuhlmann and Joey Marshall for Airspeed, Dennis Praet and Jeroen Nollet for Hayabusa.

The two Belgian world champions with their new lineup are one year ahead of Airspeed who begin with their two new team mates in December. Neither France nor Qatar Tigers have 4-way world champions in their lineups, while all team members have already won other FAI medals at outdoor world championships.

Arizona Airspeed and NMP PCH HayaBusa still have to qualify as the national teams by winning their national championships, which is no problem for HayaBusa in Belgium. Arizona Airspeed will probably be facing stiff competition by the Golden Knights 4-way team who have no other goals than becoming 4-way world champions. Neither France nor Qatar Tigers have to win a national championship to qualify. National coach Mathieu Bernier is responsible for the selection of the lineup, while the Qatar coaches discuss the situation with the project management who make the final decision. The French Aethers are going into their 4th year with the same lineup, and the Qatar Tigers have a decade of training and competition behind them. High level of excitement is guaranteed in the coming two years, meet by meet, and the NSL News will continue with the coverage of this whole 2-year period.

FAI Tanay Mondial 2020			1		2		3		4		5		6		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		O,19,Q,5		17,B,E,P		H,15,12		M,N,7,F		K,L,C,4		J,18,16		Total	Avg
1	NMP-PCH Hayabusa	BE	32		41	-1	23		43		30	-4	24	-1	193	32.2
2	SDC Rhythm XP	US	25	-2	35	-5	22		39		26	-4	22		169	28.2
3	Qatar Tigers	QA	24	-1	38	-2	19		34		26		19	-2	160	26.7
4	Aerodyne Cypres Lille	FR	23		33		19		32		24		21		152	25.3

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4-way Open Top 4 in Tanay 2021

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