24-25 October 2026 | UBC40, Saint-Vincent de Tyrosse
Sauvages have claimed the WCT8 French National Championship, defeating two-time champions Parkour59 3-2 in a dramatic final that saw the end of an era in French Chase Tag®.
The event, hosted at UBC40 in Saint-Vincent de Tyrosse, marked the debut of WCT's new extended format and delivered two days of competition that confirmed France's status as one of the strongest Chase Tag® nation in the world.
A New Format for a New Era
WCT8 France served as the testing ground for the sport's new extended match format: 30 chases across two 15-chase half periods, with rosters expanded to accommodate up to eight players per team. The format allowed coaches greater tactical flexibility and placed new demands on squad depth.
The results validated the experiment. The competition produced some of the most intense and strategically complex Chase Tag® seen at national level.
Group Stage
Eight teams competed across two groups over the opening day.
Group A saw Parkour59 continue their dominance of French competition, topping the group with victories over Family Is Back (3-1), Tximistak (3-0) and Fakaw (2-1). Fakaw secured second place with wins over Tximistak and Family Is Back. The local side Tximistak claimed a notable 1-0 upset over Family Is Back, who saw the return of legendary athlete Mehdi Hadim from his time with Blacklist.
Group B introduced the two new teams to French competition. Sauvages, formed from athletes with roots at KIMEO, Mamba and Parkour59, swept their group with three consecutive wins: 2-0 over The Crow, 5-0 over Wildcats and 1-0 over Blast Paris. Blast Paris, who split from Fakaw earlier this year and arrived as Compostela Chase-Off™ champions, secured second place ahead of The Crow on evasion difference after the two sides drew 0-0.
Semi-Finals
The knockout rounds revealed the gulf between the top tier and the rest.
Sauvages demolished Fakaw 8-0 in the first semi-final, a statement victory that announced their arrival as genuine title contenders. Benjamin Garcia, Gabin Pariel and the Sauvages roster were clinical across the Quad™, converting nearly every chase opportunity.
The second semi-final delivered the drama. Parkour59 edged past Blast Paris 4-3 in a tightly contested encounter. Esteban Noguera's Blast Paris squad, operating with just four players for the tournament, pushed the reigning champions to the limit before falling one chase short.
Third Place Playoff
Blast Paris recovered from their semi-final defeat to claim bronze with a 3-0 victory over Fakaw, completing a difficult weekend for the Parisian outfit against their former teammates.
The Final
Sauvages entered the final having conceded just one point across five matches. Parkour59 brought their undefeated French Nationals record, having won both WCT6 France and WCT7 France.
Something had to give.
Sauvages struck first and never relinquished control, building a 3-0 lead that looked decisive. Parkour59 mounted a late response through Valy Sultani, who delivered two crucial evasions to pull the score to 3-2. For a moment, the undefeated streak seemed destined to survive.
It was not to be. Sauvages closed out the match and etched their name into French Chase Tag® history as national champions.
Final Result: Sauvages 3-2 Parkour59
Baron of Bolt WCT8 France
After evaluation of statistics and overall performance across the tournament, World Chase Tag® has awarded the Baron of Bolt to Valy Sultani of Parkour59.
Sultani was involved in 41 chases across the event, accounting for 40% of all Parkour59's chase involvements. His 35% evasion rate across 23 chases as an evader and his ability to secure two evasions in the final nearly brought his team back from the brink.
Sultani becomes the second Parkour59 athlete to claim Baron of Bolt at French Nationals, following Hugo Bochynski at WCT6 France. He follows in the steps of Esteban Noguera, who won the award at WCT7 France with Fakaw.
Runners-up for the Baron of Bolt were Gabin Pariel of Sauvages, who lifted the trophy while introducing new moves to the Quad™ with a 50% evasion rate, and Esteban Noguera, whose leadership of a four-player Blast Paris roster to bronze was remarkable.
Looking Ahead: WCT8 EMEA Rotterdam
The level of play in France has never been higher. Five of the eight teams competing in the Open Division at the WCT8 Europe, Middle East and Africa Championship in Rotterdam this December will be French. Two of the four Women's Division teams will also come from France.
If WCT8 France was any indication, French teams will arrive in Rotterdam ready to compete for the EMEA title.
WCT8 France took place at UBC40 in Saint-Vincent de Tyrosse on 24-25 October 2026.
