posted Sep 18th, 2025 - The battle for the highest ranking position behind the medal winners in 4-way Open at the FAI Outdoor World Cup 2025 was just as exciting as it could be expected. There was only a 6-point difference between the 4th place (200) and the 8th place (196), and each of the five teams in this group claimed at least one highscore for a round.

The winner of this competition behind the medal rankings, SDC Rhythm XP, did not even post most of the highscores. U.S. Team One collected a total of five highscores, three of them consecutively for the last three rounds, which eventually lifted the four world champions up to the 5th place after a slow start.

Round 10 became the showcase for the proximity of the same five teams, when they all finished the technically challenging sequence (22,O,P,3) with the same score. All four U.S. teams actually made the Top 10, while only the Golden Knights won a set of FAI medals with the 2nd place behind Aethers Lille and ahead of NMP PCH HayaBusa. SDC Rhythm XP and U.S. Team One took the positions right behind the medals. Both teams don't really fit into the unofficial amateur category, SDC Rhythm XP as a full-time skydiving team, US. Team One with still reigning 4-way world champion Niklas Hemlin in the lineup, and with the most successful Formation Skydiving competitor in history, Craig Girard. Reigning 4-way Women world champions Michelle Karamon and Brenn Richards completed the lineup, with Taylor Buffington on camera.

FAI Outdoor World Cup 2025			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		B,Q,19,F		G,13,K,A		12,7,8		16,E,6		1,J,9		10,15,21		5,18,L		M,20,11		C,17,2		22,O,P,3		Total	Avg
1	Aethers Lille	FR	36	-2	36		20	-1	25		29		20		24	-1	24		24	-1	25		263	26.3
2	Golden Knights	US	33		31	-2	20		24	-1	27	-1	16	-2	23		24		24		24		246	24.6
3	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	33		28	-3	19		24		30		18	-1	19	-2	22		21	-1	23		237	23.7
4	SDC Rhythm XP	US	27	-1	22	-5	17		22		21	-3	14	-2	20	-1	18	-1	20		19		200	20.0
5	U.S. Team One	US	24	-2	21	-2	17		20		24		15	-1	18		19		21	-1	19		198	19.8
6	Skywalkers Junior	CZ	28		22	-2	16	-1	20		23		15	-1	18		18	-1	17	-2	19		196	19.6
7	Echochamber	SE	26		25		16	-1	20		24		12	-1	16	-1	19		18	-1	19		195	19.5
8	Agera	NO	27	-1	23	-1	17		18	-2	23	-1	16		17		17	-1	17	-2	19		194	19.4
9	RhEvolution XP	US	27		22		15		18	-1	21		15		13	-2	17		17		17		182	18.2
10	Out Of The Blue	NL	21	-2	22		13	-2	17		21		14		16		17	-1	17		17		175	17.5
11	AYRO	BE	24		22		13		18		21		12	-1	13	-2	17		17		15		172	17.2
12	Papea	ES	21	-3	22		17		18		18	-3	14		13	-1	15	-2	16	-2	16	-1	170	17.0
13	Chop Chop!	AU	18		16		11		12		16		9		10	-1	14		12	-1	13		131	13.1
14	Les Hermines	FR	17	-2	16	-1	10	-1	12		15		8	-1	10		14		13		13		128	12.8
15	British Army Volt4ge	UK	16		12		10		12		14	-2	11		9	-1	11	-1	10	-1	11		116	11.6
16	Axis	UK	13	-1	10	-2	10		10		14		9		8		11		10	-1	9	-2	104	10.4

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SDC Rhythm XP - U.S. Team One at the FAI Outdoor World Cup 2025

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The battle for the 4th place behind the medal rankings and the two high-profile U.S. teams was even closer. Skywalkers Most, Echochamber and Agera Oceanside were separated by only one point between each other and were well within striking distance of the two U.S. teams throughout the whole 10-round meet. Each of the same five teams had the potential to take the 4th place.

Two of the same five teams posted team record averages to be a part of this group. Skywalkers Most increased their previous 17.2 average to 19.6 and became the most improved team of the competition. Agera had two 18.7 averages in their records, the last one just posted a few weeks before the outdoor world cup at Norway's national outdoor championship.

The 19.4 average at Skydive Teuge was the most unexpected peak performance of the event, and it lifted Norway's national team in 4-way Open right into the battle for the 4th place. The last NSL Power Rankings before the start of the outdoor world cup was still showing Agera behind the group of contenders for the 4th place. They ended up in the same 8th place on the leaderboard, while they did not have to compete for the remaining Top 10 spots and rather challenged the other four teams ahead of them instead.

FAI Outdoor World Cup 2025			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	Aethers	FR	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2	Golden Knights	US	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
4	U.S. Team One	US	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
4	SDC Rhythm XP	US	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
4	Echochamber	SE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
4	Skywalkers Junior	CZ	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
8	Agera	NO	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
8	Out Of The Blue	NL	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
8	Papea	ES	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
11	RhEvolution XP	US	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
11	Ayro	BE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
13	Les Hermines	FR	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
13	Chop Chop!	AU	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
13	British Army Volt4ge	UK	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
13	Axis	UK	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

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Skywalkers Most - Echochamber - Agera Oceanside at the FAI Outdoor World Cup 2025

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Rank	Team	Country	Best Average
1	Aethers Lille	FR	26.3
2	Golden Knights Gold	US	24.6
3	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	23.7
4	Skywalkers Junior	CZ	19.6
5	Echochamber	SE	19.5
6	Agera FS 2022	NO	19.4
7	Airbus Illertissen	DE	19.0
8	SOAR	UK	18.5
9	Qatar Cheetahs	QA	18.2
10	Out of the Blue	NL	17.5

Skywalkers, Echochamber and Agera would be the national teams for Czech Republic, Sweden and Norway at an outdoor world championship, as the NSL News reported on September 15th. They would be the main contenders for the unofficial amateur world champion title. SDC Rhythm XP and U.S. Team One would not be eligible for the outdoor world championship, unless they win the USPA Nationals later this year.

The battle between the same three teams for the same position can probably be expected to take place next year in Eloy. The 20-average performance level might be the requirement then for any team to finish right behind the medal positions.

There will be even more competition for the national teams from Czech Republic, Sweden and Norway in Eloy 2026. The Qatar delegation is re-building a new national team in 4-way Open after the switching of the Tigers from FAI to CISM competition, and a new combination of Lions and Cheetahs will try to be ready and become a new medal contender. Germany's Airbus Illertissen Oceanside 4-way team were just showing their own 19-average performance at the national outdoor championship. The updated world rankings are showing how the German team has moved up to join the teams on the 19-point level. All the national teams in 4-way Open now have one year to prepare for the most relevant event in formation skydiving competition.

FAI Outdoor World Cup 2025			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open Countries		B,Q,19,F		G,13,K,A		12,7,8		16,E,6		1,J,9		10,15,21		5,18,L		M,20,11		C,17,2		22,O,P,3		Total	Avg
1	Aethers Lille	FR	36	-2	36		20	-1	25		29		20		24	-1	24		24	-1	25		263	26.3
2	Golden Knights	US	33		31	-2	20		24	-1	27	-1	16	-2	23		24		24		24		246	24.6
3	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	33		28	-3	19		24		30		18	-1	19	-2	22		21	-1	23		237	23.7
4	Skywalkers Junior	CZ	28		22	-2	16	-1	20		23		15	-1	18		18	-1	17	-2	19		196	19.6
5	Echochamber	SE	26		25		16	-1	20		24		12	-1	16	-1	19		18	-1	19		195	19.5
6	Agera	NO	27	-1	23	-1	17		18	-2	23	-1	16		17		17	-1	17	-2	19		194	19.4
7	Out Of The Blue	NL	21	-2	22		13	-2	17		21		14		16		17	-1	17		17		175	17.5
8	Papea	ES	21	-3	22		17		18		18	-3	14		13	-1	15	-2	16	-2	16	-1	170	17.0
9	Chop Chop!	AU	18		16		11		12		16		9		10	-1	14		12	-1	13		131	13.1
10	British Army Volt4ge	UK	16		12		10		12		14	-2	11		9	-1	11	-1	10	-1	11		116	11.6