posted Aug 22nd, 2026 - The 4-way thriller between NMP PCH HayaBusa and the Golden Knights at the CISM World Championship is over. It is difficult to put into words just how significant the level of competition—and its outcome—was for both the teams and the audience.

The teams' friendly rivalry, along with their ongoing cooperation, has pushed both of them to the highest scoring level ever recorded in 4-way competition at a CISM World Championship. NMP PCH HayaBusa fell just one point short of the first 36-point average, while the final winning margin was also just one point after eight rounds in Slovakia.

Both teams ended the competition with the same number of point deductions (11) for infringements, and the one-point difference is compelling evidence that they are now competing on an equal footing. The Golden Knights had won the previous two outdoor duels at the FAI Outdoor World Cup 2025 and Paraclete XP's Summer Classic 2026, but the gap between the teams had continued to shrink. It was also the first time that HayaBusa's newest and youngest member, Ray Lodens, had won an outdoor competition against the Golden Knights. That achievement is likely to be particularly meaningful for him, strengthening his confidence and adding another important milestone for the team.

CISM 2026			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		T	A
R	4-way Male - Top 2		M,O,P,2		M,L,14,Q		M,D,17,G		M,F,C,1		M,N,H,18		M,K,16,J		M,A,R,22		M,19,E,B		T	A
1	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	38	-	33	-	34	4	41	-	35		37	1	30	3	39	3	287	35.9
1	Golden Knights	US	35	2	33	-	35	3	43	1	32	2	37	1	31		40	2	286	35.8

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NMP PCH HayaBusa (BE) - Golden Knights (US) at the CISM World Championship 2026

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There are plenty of reasons for the audience to expect and look forward to another 4-way thriller at the upcoming FAI Outdoor World Championship 2026 in October. On top of that, there is good reason to expect an even tighter competition between the two dueling military lineups from Belgium and the United States and the world's leading 4-way Open team, Aethers Lille.

Just as NMP PCH HayaBusa and the Golden Knights have pushed each other to their highest performance levels, they are likely moving closer to the level of the French team. There is little doubt that French national coach Mathieu Bernier and his team have been following the military duel in Slovakia very closely. In fact, this week brought together the world's three best 4-way teams at two different locations. The French national outdoor championship took place over the last two days, while the CISM teams concluded their competition in Slovakia.

Aethers Lille won the French championship in Vannes without serious opposition, despite missing Mathieu Quizy in the tail slot. Former Nephtys member Clémentine Le Bohec, who still competed for the 4-way Women team at the FAI Indoor World Cup 2026, stepped in for the Aethers and achieved her highest meet average in an outdoor competition. The NSL News will follow up with more information from France.

France Outdoor Nationals 2026		1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open/AAA Class	6,H,J,N		12,F,Q,17		1,16,9		P,O,K,13		21,2,G		L,20,11		7,19,10		D,18,A,4		8,E,5		14,C,3		Total	Avg
1	Aethers Lille	31		28		23		30	-2	21		21		23		24		21	-1	21		243	24.3
2	Nephtys Maubeuge	25		21		18	-1	28		18		19		19		20		16		18		202	20.2
3	Hauts-de-France Lille Bondues	21		16		16		21		16		14		14		16		15	-1	14		163	16.3
4	Les Hermines deVannes	19		14		13		20		13		14		14		14		14		11		146	14.6

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Aethers Lille at the French Outdoor Nationals 2026

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