posted Aug 13th, 2016 - As if my nose has not been in it more than enough...

Did you know that the Golden 4-way women's team changed their lineup for the first time since 2011, half a year before the World Championship of Formation Skydiving? I am sure everybody knows that after reading the SUN PATH PRODUCTS NSL NEWS on a regular basis.

Then you probably also know that the U.S. Army team found a replacement for Angela Navarro-Nichols quickly. SDC Rhythm XP's inside center JaNette Lefkowitz is filling the slot from now on through the 10 or 11 rounds of 4-way women's competition at Mondial 2016.

TURNING POINTS: What If?

That was a shocker to me. Not that JaNette will help out - that is a great athletic move and obviously a very adequate substitution. It's a shocker that this is happening after almost six years with the same lineup, and with a realistic chance to win the gold medals in 4-way women for the first time.

The Golden Knights had roughly three months to get ready for the new showdown with France when JaNette committed to do the job. The odds changed almost instantly. 75 percent of the audience had the Golden Knights as favorite for the Mondial gold medals in January 2016. That same majority now sees the French Girls with better chances to win in Ottawa.

What a lucky situation for the Golden Knights, if there is anything positive for such a last-minute emergency. Imagine if SDC Rhythm XP was already the U.S. national team in 4-way Open, and JaNette was not available? The FAI rules surely don't allow the same competitor to compete in two different categories at the same event.

Hang on, hang on - I am completely wrong.

There have been many FS competitors who have competed in two different categories at the same event, switching back and forth between 4- and 8-way at the same world meets and world cups. On top of that, the Canadian LeMay brothers have now been doing the same thing between 4-way open and 4-way VFS. Now I am forced to think more about that, you got me into something here.

Of course I know the answer coming from the FAI, IPC and experts in our sport: 4-way, 8-way and VFS are very different events, and they also have different competition draws. I agree, and it would be silly to argue that. Yet there is confusion in my head now, as the proponents of the 4-way women class say there is a desperate need for it due to the significant difference between male and female 4-way competitors. So logically, all the 4-way women's event needs is a separate competition draw to make it different enough; then, any female 4-way competitor could compete in 4-way open and in 4-way women at the same FAI/IPC event.

Oh please, don't take that seriously or as a proposal - I am only thinking out loud trying to understand the logic of it all.

FAI WAG 2015			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
R.	4-way Open		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
3	Black Cat	RU	23	23	21	30	21	21	26	23	27	19	234	23.4
R.	8-way Open		20,13,4	F,L,B,G,P	22,D,7	14,O,5	9,C,J,H	19,K,3	Q,17,E,A	15,21,18	12,16,1	8,11,2	Total	Avg
2	Tanay	RU	17	26	17	14	19	21	17	17	24	13	185	18.5

All right, Rhythm is not the U.S. national team in 4-way open, which fixes this situation practically. However, you still cannot just drop the topic - rules are made to suit any situation, right?

Let's just make up a scenario that could really happen. The French Girls are pretty much on the same scoring level as the French national team in 4-way open. Let's say that Laurence Herve (French point in 4-way open) injures her ankle right before the meet (it happened to her before the Mondial Dubai 2012) and she cannot compete. What would be in the way of national coach Mathieu Bernier sending French Girl Christine Malnis (point) into the 4-way open class battle this September?

Mathieu will most likely not do that, but who knows? It's a different event, and I am not aware of any rule (prove me wrong) that does not permit such a move. That would be completely confusing, and I don't even want to begin thinking about the logic, implications and new arguments.

FAI Prostejov 2014			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		E,3,C,5	F,6,D,21	19,H,2	M,4,1	O,14,A,P	8,J,16	7,11,12	22,20,15	17,G,18	13,B,9	Total	Avg
3	Evolution	CA	31	28	24	22	28	23	20	21	25	27	249	24.9
Rank	4-way VFS		9,2,D	17,7,10	12,16,E	15,8,G	J,6,L,N	B,14,5	I,F,3,A	4,13,C	-	-	Total	Avg
3	Evolution VFS	CA	18	15	23	19	21	15	16	15	-	-	142	17.8

Well, good thing that I am probably the only idiot on the planet who gives this some thought, as it is practically not an issue. SDC Rhythm XP is not the national 4-way team and they do not compete at the world meet, where the five Arizona Airspeed boys will represent the U.S. in 4-way open. Mathieu Bernier has his alternates for the French national 4-way teams, and France will not need someone to switch from 4-way women to 4-way open, or vice versa.

By the way: JaNette Lefkowitz is not alone as a member of two teams. 4mula's Sian Stokes and Kate Lindsley also compete for Volition in 4-way women at this year's FAI Indoor World Cup. Un(?) fortunately, 4mula is not the British national team in 4-way open (Satori XL is) and will patiently wait until the team members come back...

Germany's 4-way silver medalist of 2015, AtomiX YUU, has two team members (Andrea Kleinschmidt and Janine Tillenburg) who will compete for Germany in 4-way women at the Mondial 2016. Un(?)fortunately, AtomiX is not the German national team in 4-way open (Airbus is) and will patiently wait until the team members come back...

What if all three teams were the national champions in 4-way open...?