posted Apr 19th, 2024 - The four rounds on the second day of the FAI Indoor World Cup 2024 did not change anything on the top of the 4-way Open Class leaderboard, and the three medal contenders have settled in the positions that they were expected to finish in, according to the NSL Power Rankings.

Arizona Airspeed claimed all ten 4-way Open Class highscores, and the French Aethers with substitute Pamela Lissajoux are 13 points ahead of the Qatar Tigers in 2nd place, who own the bronze medal position just as securely as Airspeed and Aethers in 1st and 2nd place.

The Spanish full-time military CISM team Papea are currently winning the position behind the three potential 4-way Open Class medalists with a new team record average, while the Swedish Echochamber is still within striking distance before the last two rounds. FlyX from Italy, once again with a new lineup, try to hold off the home team from China.

The most exciting 4-way Open Class battle takes place between Dutch national team Out Of The Blue and the Netunos from Brazil. The Dutch team is attending their second indoor meet with the new lineup, and Out Of The Blue are trying to finish within the Top 10, as they did with the previous lineup at the FAI Indoor World Cup 2022 and at the FAI Outdoor World Cup 2023 in Norway. Brazil's Navy team compete at their first FAI/ISC indoor competition, and a Top 10 finish would be a great start for the new national team.

FAI Indoor World Cup 2024			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		11		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open Top 10		8,C,7		K,G,12,B		6,4,H		20,1,5		15,10,A		F,O,P,21		19,M,9		J,13,E,22		16,3,N		L,Q,D,18		2,11,17		Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	US	35		36	-2	32		29		29		44		39		29		-		-		-		273	34.1
2	Aethers	FR	32	-1	33		31		27		26		40	-2	36		28	-1	-		-		-		253	31.6
3	Qatar Tigers	QA	29	-1	32	-1	25	-3	25		25	-1	41		35		28		-		-		-		240	30.0
4	Papea	ES	30		28		25		24	-1	23	-2	38	-1	33		25	-1	-		-		-		226	28.3
5	Echochamber Oceanside	SE	24	-2	30	-2	27		25		22	-1	37		29	-3	24		-		-		-		218	27.3
6	Fly X	IT	27	-1	26	-2	23	-2	22		22	-1	37	-2	30	-1	24		-		-		-		211	26.4
6	China	CN	25		27		26		24		22		33	-4	29	-2	25	-1	-		-		-		211	26.4
8	Qatar Lions	QA	23	-2	22	-5	26		21	-1	19	-2	35	-2	30		25		-		-		-		201	25.1
9	Crazy Dragons	CZ	24	-1	24	-2	21	-2	20	-1	18	-3	34		30		23		-		-		-		194	24.3
10	Out Of The Blue	NL	23	-3	23		19	-2	19	-2	17	-1	34		27		21		-		-		-		183	22.9
10	Netunos	BR	19	-2	27		21	-2	18	-2	16	-2	30	-5	29	-1	23		-		-		-		183	22.9

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Out Of The Blue - Netunos at the FAI Indoor World Cup 2024

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The NSL Power Rankings in 4-way Women predicted a battle for the 1st place between NFTO, XPG4 and China, after coach Solly Williams hinted that China would have the potential to challenge the two currently strongest 4-way Women teams in the world. It was not a surprise that NFTO and XPG4 are back to their battle of the past years.

XPG4 won this duel with their previous lineup at the FAI Indoor World Championship 2023 in Slovakia, where NFTO competed with the same team. France won the 4-way Women gold medals in Slovakia with the Nephtys and Pamela Lissajoux.

The Nephtys did not travel to China, and Pamela Lissajoux replaces Tom Mattoni for the Aethers in 4-way Open. However, the absence of a strong French national team in 4-way Women still did not guarantee for XPG4 and NFTO to compete for the gold medals this time, as Solly Williams pointed out. In fact, neither seem to have a chance to get even close to the Chinese national team in 4-way Women, who are 16 points ahead in 1st place after Round 8. The competition for the top spot seems to be over, while the duel between XPG4 and NFTO promises a very exciting finish. There is no doubt that NFTO plan to eliminate the 6-point deficit with a 2-round sprint. The two remaining sequences have the potential for a team to make up ground. NFTO will challenge, and XPG4 have to defend somehow.

FAI Indoor World Cup 2024			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		11		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Women		8,C,7		K,G,12,B		6,4,H		20,1,5		15,10,A		F,O,P,21		19,M,9		J,13,E,22		16,3,N		L,Q,D,18		2,11,17		Total	Avg
1	China	CN	27	-4	33	-1	31		26	-1	21	-3	44		32	-3	29		-		-		-		243	30.4
2	XPG4	US	29		28	-2	26		25		24		39		31	-1	25	-1	-		-		-		227	28.4
3	NFTO	UK	26		27	-1	25	-1	25		23		36	-3	32	-1	27		-		-		-		221	27.6
4	China 2	CN	25	-2	30		25	-1	19	-2	14	-4	34		27	-1	19	-4	-		-		-		193	24.1
5	Indonesia	ID	22	-4	23	-5	21	-3	18	-4	18	-1	30	-2	25	-1	20	-1	-		-		-		177	22.1
6	Fire Phoenix	IT	16	-5	15	-4	16	-1	14		14	-1	23	-2	19	-2	17	-3	-		-		-		134	16.8
7	Singapore	SG	17		15	-3	16	-1	14		11	-2	23	-4	16	-3	15		-		-		-		127	15.9
8	Yangon	MM	8	-11	15	-2	16		10	-3	12	-1	23	-1	16	-3	15		-		-		-		115	14.4
9	Thailand	TH	11	-8	15	-3	15	-3	11	-2	11	-2	20	-5	17	-2	13	-3	-		-		-		113	14.1

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XPG4 - NFTO at the FAI Indoor World Cup 2024

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The combined AAA Class leaderboard, including all teams in 4-way Open and 4-way Women, offers currently the most interesting part of the indoor world cup. The three strongest 4-way Women teams are all positioned within the Top 10 on the combined leaderboard, and China would win bronze medals in 4-way Open with their 4-way Women lineup.

Qatar Tigers will try to change this situation, and they have to make up for the 3-point difference after Round 8. They may be safe in 3rd place on the 4-way Open Class leaderboard, while there is work waiting to claim the same position on the combined leaderboard.

Arizona Airspeed owns all eight highscores on the 4-way Open Class leaderboard, which will probably continue in the two remaining rounds. However, there was a team tying two of the Airspeed scores, and it was not the French Aethers this time. China's 4-way Women team matched the Airspeed performance fair and square in Round 6 and Round 8. The same standings after Round 10 would feature the first time in FAI/ISC indoor history since the introduction of the 4-way Women category that an all-female lineup would end up in a medal position on the 4-way Open Class leaderboard. China may be safe and secure on the 4-way Women leaderboard, while they also have work to do and defend the current position on the combined leaderboard.

FAI Indoor World Cup 2024			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		11		Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class		8,C,7		K,G,12,B		6,4,H		20,1,5		15,10,A		F,O,P,21		19,M,9		J,13,E,22		16,3,N		L,Q,D,18		2,11,17		Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	US	35		36	-2	32		29		29		44		39		29		-		-		-		273	34.1
2	Aethers	FR	32	-1	33		31		27		26		40	-2	36		28	-1	-		-		-		253	31.6
3	China	CN	27	-4	33	-1	31		26	-1	21	-3	44		32	-3	29		-		-		-		243	30.4
4	Qatar Tigers	QA	29	-1	32	-1	25	-3	25		25	-1	41		35		28		-		-		-		240	30.0
5	XPG4	US	29		28	-2	26		25		24		39		31	-1	25	-1	-		-		-		227	28.4
6	Papea	ES	30		28		25		24	-1	23	-2	38	-1	33		25	-1	-		-		-		226	28.3
7	NFTO	UK	26		27	-1	25	-1	25		23		36	-3	32	-1	27		-		-		-		221	27.6
8	Echochamber Oceanside	SE	24	-2	30	-2	27		25		22	-1	37		29	-3	24		-		-		-		218	27.3
9	Fly X	IT	27	-1	26	-2	23	-2	22		22	-1	37	-2	30	-1	24		-		-		-		211	26.4
9	China	CN	25		27		26		24		22		33	-4	29	-2	25	-1	-		-		-		211	26.4
11	Qatar Lions	QA	23	-2	22	-5	26		21	-1	19	-2	35	-2	30		25		-		-		-		201	25.1
12	Crazy Dragons	CZ	24	-1	24	-2	21	-2	20	-1	18	-3	34		30		23		-		-		-		194	24.3
13	China 2	CN	25	-2	30		25	-1	19	-2	14	-4	34		27	-1	19	-4	-		-		-		193	24.1
14	Out Of The Blue	NL	23	-3	23		19	-2	19	-2	17	-1	34		27		21		-		-		-		183	22.9
14	Netunos	BR	19	-2	27		21	-2	18	-2	16	-2	30	-5	29	-1	23		-		-		-		183	22.9
16	Indonesia	ID	22	-4	23	-5	21	-3	18	-4	18	-1	30	-2	25	-1	20	-1	-		-		-		177	22.1
17	Qatar Cheetahs	QA	21		19	-2	20	-1	19		13	-3	27	-2	25	-1	22		-		-		-		166	20.8
18	Indonesia	ID	23	-3	21	-6	15	-7	15	-4	16	-2	30	-3	24	-1	19	-2	-		-		-		163	20.4
19	Só Pressão	BR	18	-2	22	-1	17	-1	18		13	-3	25	-5	22	-2	19	-1	-		-		-		154	19.3
20	Singapore	SG	19		13		19		13		15		26	-4	16	-5	17	-1	-		-		-		138	17.3
21	Fire Phoenix	IT	16	-5	15	-4	16	-1	14		14	-1	23	-2	19	-2	17	-3	-		-		-		134	16.8
22	South Korea	KR	14		18		18		10		14		22	-3	18		16		-		-		-		130	16.3
23	Singapore	SG	17		15	-3	16	-1	14		11	-2	23	-4	16	-3	15		-		-		-		127	15.9
24	Thailand	TH	12		15		14		11		12		22		18		14		-		-		-		118	14.8
25	Yangon	MM	8	-11	15	-2	16		10	-3	12	-1	23	-1	16	-3	15		-		-		-		115	14.4
26	Thailand	TH	11	-8	15	-3	15	-3	11	-2	11	-2	20	-5	17	-2	13	-3	-		-		-		113	14.1
27	Indonesia 2	ID	12		11		13		13		11		20	-1	19		13		-		-		-		112	14.0
28	Singapore 2	SG	10		12		12		5		9		18	-5	18		13		-		-		-		97	12.1
29	Singapore 3	SG	6		10		13		8		9		10	-9	12		8		-		-		-		76	9.5
30	Malaysia	MY	2		2		1		3		3		7	-2	5		4		-		-		-		27	3.4

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4-way Women teams in yellow

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