posted Apr 24th, 2026 - Analyzing competition data—scores, videos, participation, and more—remains a key part of the NSL News aftermath following the year’s major events, including FAI/ISC indoor and outdoor world championships and world cups. This month featured the indoor world cup, with the outdoor world championship set to follow in October.

The NSL News aftermath also takes a closer look at participation in the horizontal 4-way and 8-way categories sanctioned by FAI/ISC. While 8-way teams compete in a single Open class, 4-way teams have the option to enter an additional category that was first introduced as a test event in Australia 1999. The 4-way Women category was fully included at the world cup in 2000, and the first official world champions—Synchronicity from the United States—were crowned in Spain 2001. Since then, FAI/ISC medals have been awarded in this category at every major event.

Formation Skydiving offers a unique structure in competitive sports: a dedicated leaderboard for all-female 4-way teams, while female athletes can also train for and compete in the 4-way Open class alongside mixed-gender lineups at the same FAI/ISC events. Notably, there is no separate 4-way Men category, unlike in the military CISM World Championships.

FAI Indoor World Cup 2026			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way AAA Combined		J,20,C,4		10,O,L,M		B,21,N,H		14,F,3		18,16,9		E,6,8		19,1,Q		G,5,12		P,D,17,22		15,11,2		Total	Avg
1	Aethers	FR	33	-1	37		42		30	-1	31		32		33		35		36		27		336	33.6
2	Golden Knights	US	32		34	-1	38	-2	29		29		29		30	-1	30	-1	33		26		310	31.0
3	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	31	-1	32	-3	42		29		30	-1	29		31		29		32	-1	22	-2	307	30.7
4	China Hubei 1	CN	31		35		37	-1	26	-1	30		29		29	-1	30		32		23	-2	302	30.2
5	Siberries	RU	30	-2	33		37		27	-2	28		28	-1	26	-2	29		31		24		293	29.3
6	Skywalkers Most	CZ	28	-3	34	-1	33	-4	28	-1	27		27	-3	28	-2	28	-1	30	-4	24		287	28.7
7	Strike	RU	28	-1	32		36		29		25	-2	26	-2	25	-1	28		32		22	-1	283	28.3
7	Nephtys	FR	29		36		33	-4	25	-2	27		26	-1	28		29		29		21		283	28.3
9	Amnesya Fly X	IT	28	-1	31		34	-3	26		27		25	-3	27	-1	24	-3	28	-1	22		272	27.2
10	16.8.4	RU	25	-1	29	-2	32		24	-1	25	-1	24		26	-1	26	-2	28	-1	22		261	26.1
11	China Hubei 2	CN	27	-2	28	-2	29	-2	24		25	-2	27		25		27	-3	26	-3	20	-2	258	25.8
12	Les Krocmous	FR	26		27		36		24		24		24		23		21	-3	29		21		255	25.5
13	VDV	RU	25	-1	30	-1	29	-5	26		24	-1	26	-1	25	-1	21	-3	26	-1	21		253	25.3
14	Indonesia	ID	25	-3	28	-2	32	-3	24		23	-3	26	-1	24	-2	23	-3	27		16	-6	248	24.8
15	Gen XYZ	BR	26	-1	29	-1	25	-5	23	-1	21	-2	24		25		23	-2	26		19		241	24.1
16	AYRO	BE	25		28		32		22	-1	24		22	-2	23		23	-1	19	-4	21		239	23.9
16	Aerokart Ak'demie	FR	26		25	-1	30	-2	21	-1	20	-2	24		21	-4	23		28		21		239	23.9
18	Trinity	RU	23	-1	26		30		25		23		23		21	-2	22	-1	23	-1	20		236	23.6
19	Out Of The Blue	NL	24	-2	28		32		18	-5	23		21	-3	22	-1	23		25	-1	19	-1	235	23.5
20	NFTO	UK	24	-2	28	-1	32		23	-2	19	-4	18	-3	23		21	-1	25		20		233	23.3
21	Thyra	NO	25		26		27	-1	21		20		24		22	-1	20		25		19		229	22.9
22	Kairos	UK	21	-2	26		28		21		21	-1	24		24		22		23		18		228	22.8
23	XP Angels	US	26		23	-1	25	-2	23		20		22	-2	20	-3	20	-1	24		18	-1	221	22.1
24	Magic 4	LT	20		26		27	-1	21		19		18	-2	23		21		22		16	-1	213	21.3
25	Flyspot Sky4Four	PL	22		26		28	-2	21		19	-2	19	-3	18	-3	22		21		16	-1	212	21.2
25	Bronteroc	HU	21		26		26	-3	21		20	-1	21	-1	20		17	-2	23		17		212	21.2
27	Meltemi Oceanside Illertissen	DE	22		24		27		21		20		22		21		16	-3	21		16	-1	210	21.0
28	Killers of Hopes and Dreams	US	19	-1	25		26	-1	20		19	-1	20		19	-2	19		23		17		207	20.7
29	Oblivion	FR	21		22		25		18	-1	19		22		21		19		21		17		205	20.5
30	Airdrops	CH	19	-1	25		27		17	-3	18	-1	21		21	-2	16	-2	23		16		203	20.3
31	Brasil Blue	BR	19	-2	23	-3	26	-1	17	-2	18	-1	20		21	-1	19		23		16	-1	202	20.2
31	WingX	CH	21	-1	25		25	-2	21		19		17	-2	20	-1	19		21	-1	14	-2	202	20.2
33	Windabona Angels	ES	20		26		27		19	-1	17	-2	21		21	-3	14	-5	19		17		201	20.1
33	Panthers	CZ	19	-3	23	-3	25	-5	19	-1	17	-2	22		21		17	-3	21	-2	17		201	20.1
33	Les Hermines	FR	22		22		23		20		15	-3	19		21		19		23		17		201	20.1
36	Indonesia Women	ID	20	-3	25		23	-4	19	-1	20	-1	19	-2	18	-2	20		19	-1	16	-1	199	19.9
37	Aura Nomads	RU	19	-1	20	-1	19		17	-2	18	-1	20		20		21		23		17	-1	194	19.4
38	Mimic	UK	16	-4	23		24	-1	19		19		19		19	-1	18	-1	20		13	-2	190	19.0
38	AERA Flystation	DE	20		21		23		17		17		19		18	-1	18		21		16		190	19.0
40	Aeroxs	FI	20		21		24	-3	18	-1	16	-1	21		15	-3	17		18	-1	16		186	18.6
41	Valkyrie	IT	16	-3	23		24	-3	11	-5	17		18	-1	18	-2	18	-1	20		14	-2	179	17.9
42	Friendship is Magic	UK	19		21		23		17	-1	16		16	-2	16	-2	14	-4	17	-1	14		173	17.3
43	Thailand	TH	15	-5	24	-2	19	-6	18	-2	15	-3	18	-1	18	-3	10	-7	15	-2	14	-2	166	16.6
44	Sora	UK	14	-3	18		16	-5	12	-2	16		18		16	-1	14	-1	17		13	-1	154	15.4
45	Airows	CH	9	-2	15	-2	18		12	-2	7	-2	13		13	-1	7	-4	13	-1	11		118	11.8

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Grey: All Male (9), Magenta: All Female (15), Yellow: Mixed Gender (21) = 20% - 33% - 47%

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The 4-way Open Class has dominated participation at FAI indoor and outdoor world cups and world championships before and since 2001, and it did so again at the most recent event, the FAI Indoor World Cup 2026. This time, 47% of all teams (45) competed with mixed-gender lineups, ranging from one female team member with three male teammates to the reverse configuration.

Only nine of the 45 teams in Weembi Lille fielded all-male lineups, including all three medalists and Skywalkers Most in fourth place. Two of the medal-winning teams (NMP PCH HayaBusa and Golden Knights) also compete in the military CISM World Championships, where male and female teams are strictly separated on the 4-way leaderboards.

In terms of participation, all-female and all-male lineups have shown very similar numbers since NSL News began analyzing team compositions from this perspective. However, the Open Class with mixed-gender lineups has consistently been the most popular category, both before and after the introduction of the separate 4-way Women leaderboard. Recent FAI/ISC indoor events have also shown all-female teams performing very close to Open Class medal positions—positions that remain accessible to them as well.

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Panthers (CZ) - Airows (CH) at the FAI Indoor World Cup 2026

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There was, in fact, another category once associated with the current 4-way Open Class leaderboard. In previous indoor events, it had its own separate FAI/ISC ranking: the 4-way Junior category. Teams such as Panthers (Czech Republic) and Airows (Switzerland) would still be eligible for this division, which was removed from FAI/ISC world cups and world championships after the FAI Indoor World Championship 2023 at Hurricane Factory Tatralandia in Slovakia. In earlier years, 4-way Junior teams competed using the AA Class dive pool and rules, performing eight sequences at world cups and world championships. However, due to limited participation, FAI/ISC has put the 4-way Junior category on hold until more teams begin entering the events.

Importantly, no rule prevents junior teams from competing in the 4-way Open Class. In fact, many juniors have historically entered Open Class events alongside family members, friends, and teammates before progressing to the senior level. Both Panthers and Airows would still qualify for the 4-way Junior category, where athletes from teams like Aethers, Skywalkers Most, and Aerokart Ak'demie previously recorded strong results at younger ages.

For example, Tom Mattoni—now aiming for the 4-way Open Class world championship title—is already a 4-way Junior world champion from Montreal 2017. His teammate at that event, Cameron Malie (now the videographer for Aethers), shared in that victory. Similarly, Skywalkers’ Krystof Rulf and Martin Stránský claimed 4-way Junior gold medals with HF Flying Rebels at the FAI Indoor World Cup 2022, outperforming another Aerokart Ak'demie lineup that included Tom Mattoni’s younger brother, Noe.

FAI Indoor World Meet 2017			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Junior		F,7,L	19,A,K	11,N,E	22,H,9	Q,M,J,8	14,6	B,15,P	O,C,18	Total	Avg
1	Aerokart Ak'demie	FR	36(-3)	29(-1)	27	26	34	22	33	23(-1)	230	28.8
2	Air Devils	CA	32	29	26	23(-1)	28(-1)	22	22(-4)	26	208	26.0
3	HF Junior Cubs	CZ	34(-2)	17(-6)	19	19	24(-2)	18	28	22(-1)	181	22.6
4	Skyblockers Singapore	SG	29(-2)	24(-1)	10(-11)	19(-3)	19(-5)	19	21(-2)	22	163	20.4

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Tom Mattoni and Cameron Malie with Aerokart Ak'demie - Yannick Bisson with Air Devils in Montreal 2017

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