posted Apr 29th, 2026 - The outcome of the FAI Indoor World Cup 2026—especially the double-gold success of the French 4-way Open team Aethers—continues to resonate throughout the formation skydiving community and remains a major topic in NSL News coverage following the event.

The high-level 4-way duel between Aethers and the Golden Knights at the Shamrock Showdown 2026 - 1st Bob Hallett Memorial initially drew most of the attention after the Indoor World Cup. Only later did the NSL News return to analyze the competition at Weembi Lille in greater detail.

While the outstanding performance of the French 4-way Open team once again dominated headlines, it was the equally commanding 8-way performance by the combined Aethers/Nephtys lineup that proved to be the bigger surprise. Kirk Verner, one of the most accomplished competitors in both 4-way and 8-way formation skydiving, noted that he had expected strong competition from other French teams, particularly D'Arc8 and Nova. However, the actual outcome—highlighted by a 20-point winning margin—surpassed even his expectations.

FAI Indoor World Cup 2026			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	8-way Open		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 Nephtys	FR	37		32		37		37		33		29	-1	32		29		32	-1	32		330	33.0
2	Paraclete XP8	US	36	-2	33		29	-3	34	-2	27	-3	27	-1	30		30	-2	33	-2	31		310	31.0
3	D'Arc8	FR	36		28	-1	31		32	-2	30		28	-2	29		30		33		32		309	30.9

---

AethersNephtys (FR) - Paraclete XP8 (US) - D'Arc8 (FR) at the FAI Indoor World Cup 2026

---

XP8 member Kirk Verner joined a new NSL Live Talk conversation on Wednesday as both an eyewitness and a direct competitor to the French 8-way performances at Weembi Lille. He said he was impressed in many ways and paid close attention to details that could benefit his own team in preparation for the Outdoor World Championship in October.

Kirk Verner is the longest-standing active competitor and the current outdoor world champion. He won his first FAI gold medal with the original Arizona Airspeed 4-way lineup in 1995 and most recently claimed the 8-way world title at the FAI Outdoor World Championship 2024 at Crystal Coast, North Carolina.

Over his career, Kirk Verner has earned two outdoor world championship gold medals in 4-way (1995, 1997) and five in 8-way (1999, 2004, 2021, 2022, 2024), including the last three consecutively. Only his current 8-way teammate Matt Davidson might have matched that record without an injury break in 2021. Matt Davidson won his first 8-way gold medal with the Golden Knights in 2012—17 years after Kirk Verner’s first 4-way world title in 1995. With one more 8-way gold, Kirk Verner would draw level with Craig Girard, who began collecting 8-way gold medals with the Golden Knights as early as 1989.

---

---

NSL Live Talk with Kirk Verner

---

However, the situation at Weembi Lille earlier this month has revived discussions about competing in both 4-way and 8-way—and the possibility of another double-gold mission. Kirk Verner and XP8 suffered their first 8-way defeat since 2019, something that had seemed almost unthinkable given their dominance in recent years, much like Aethers’ run in 4-way since January 2025.

The two French 4-way national teams—Aethers in 4-way Open and Nephtys in 4-way Women—who dominated the 8-way field at Weembi Lille are also active in outdoor competition. French national coach Mathieu Bernier stated in the latest NSL Live Talk on April 16th that he has no plans to replicate the strategy used for the Indoor World Cup. Even so, both Mathieu Bernier and Kirk Verner have extensive experience with double duties, and the opportunity may be even more tempting for the French delegation than it was at Menzelinsk 2010 and Tanay 2021.

The Nephtys lineup would not be identical at Eloy 2026, as Clementine Le Bohec and Elise Poindron were available only for the indoor season. However, Gaelle Giesen has already competed in both 4-way and 8-way, notably at Tanay 2021, and she finished just one point behind XP8 at Weembi Lille with D’Arc8. Alexandra Petitjean would be the only newcomer to a potential French 8-way lineup, but she has already gained substantial experience with the French 8-way team Nova, which finished just behind D’Arc8 at the Indoor World Cup. There is little doubt that Kirk Verner will continue to monitor the development of the French 8-way teams closely. Should Mathieu Bernier reconsider his current stance, Kirk Verner would likely welcome another serious 8-way challenge—very much in the spirit of a true competitor.

Medal Count at FAI Outdoor World Championships since 1985

---