posted Aug 5th, 2016 - France is next in the line of national championships in the European summer. It's a smaller event compared to the Coupe de France meets earlier this year, however, the four national 4-way teams are using the opportunity for a serious competition practice before two of them travel soon to the FAI World Championship of Formation Skydiving 2016.

The teams in 3rd and 4th place after Round 4 are the French national B-Teams, and the two teams in the top spots don't need much of an introduction any longer. The Sun Path Products NSL News has covered both teams on a regular basis.

The French Girls and the French Open Class team don't need much more than each other for an exciting competition. They have been going neck to neck ever since the new lineups were put together after the World Meet 2014 in Prostejov.

French Nationals 2016		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	12,P,13	2,6,9	3,C,L,16	N,J,B,11	G,7,4	14,A,O,1	E,D,5,17	21,19,Q	10,22,15	8,M,20	Total	Avg
1	France 4-way Open	19	24	19(-2)	31	24	-	-	-	-	-	117	23.4
2	French Girls	18	21	23	29	23(-1)	-	-	-	-	-	114	22.8
3	Espoir Saumur Weembi	15	17	17	23	-	-	-	-	-	-	72	18.0
4	Espoir Maubeuge Weembi	9	14	11	17	-	-	-	-	-	-	51	12.8
5	Armee de l'Air Nice	8	11	10	14	-	-	-	-	-	-	43	10.8
6	Air Celtic LVR	1	4	4	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	12	3.0

The competition between the two French national teams takes place on the highest level of 4-way competition, as both teams are serious medal contenders in their categories. In fact, France is the reigning world champion in 4-way Women after winning the FAI gold medals in 2010, 2012 and 2014, while the 4-way Open Class team tries to get back into the medal positions this year.

It becomes even more interesting considering the fact that the Open Class lineup has Laurence Herve in the point slot, who trained and competed with the French Girls between 2011 and 2014. Former French national coach Jeremie Rollett recruited her for the new Open Class team during the re-making of the new lineups for both teams at the end of the 2014 season.

It has been a rollercoaster ride between the two teams in the last two years ever since, which might be heading toward a happy end for both at the Mondial 2016.

World Cup 2015		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	1,4,D	E,3,L,G	C,16,N,9	13,J,11	Q,2,A,14	K,7,8	P,18,21	15,12,F	B,22,O,10	20,5,M	Total	Avg
3	VR4 France	20	26	25	19	23	20	22	18	20	24	217	21.7
1	French Girls	21	25	24	19	23	22	22	16	20	21	213	21.3

The new Open Class team had the upper hand when both teams competed directly against each other for the first time at the FAI World Cup 2015. The French Girls then had a personnel change when Pamela Lissajoux replaced Anais Maillet in the middle of the competition season.

The new French Girls lineup was still 10 points behind the Open Class team at the FAI Indoor World Meet 2015 before eventually turning the table at the Clash of Champions. The following World Air Games were devastating for the Open Class team who could neither outscore nor even match the new French Girls with outside center Pamela Lissajoux in one single round.

The results of Marin Ferre's coaching work with the Open Class team eventually showed at the World Challenge 2016. The current leaderboard of the French Nationals 2016 is showing the Open Class team even in the lead for the first time since October 2015. However, there are five more rounds to go, and the French Girls are only three points behind...

FAI World Indoor 2015		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	22,F,20	16,B,14	3,H,4	L,K,7,C	10,D,6	15,A,Q,M	5,8,P	O,21,11	18,G,2	12,9,N	Total	Avg
3	VR4 France	24	26	21	37	23	35	24	23	23	26	262	26.2
2	French Girls	23	26	19	33	24	31	25	23	21	27	252	25.2

Clash of Champions 2015		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	J,13,8	K,20,5	9,21,19	C,3,6	7,O,15	A,18,1	2,H,P,D	16,L,11	E,N,10,B	12,Q,F,22	Total	Avg
5	French Girls	23	26	28	25	28	24	35	24	31	25	269	26.9
10	VR4 France	20	27	27	26	31	22	33	21	30	23	260	26.0

World Air Games 2015		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	B,C,17,2	N,19,4	13,14,F	6,E,O,L	7,1,A	D,18,P,22	M,H,5,15	16,9,12	21,K,G,Q	11,20,3	Total	Avg
2	French Girls	25	22	21	30	21	20	20	22	25	18	224	22.4
7	FLY-IN	24	20	18	29	20	17	19	19	22	-	188	20.9

World Challenge 2016		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	P,2,10	8,F,15	G,14,17	L,H,E,13	M,7,O,1	16,21,11	N,D,4,9	18,20,A	Q,19,3	C,K,B,22	Total	Avg
2	French Girls	22	27	27	34	35	22	33	24	29	33	286	28.6
3	VR4 France	24	26	26	34	32	23	33	23	27	28	276	27.6