posted Jun 5th, 2019 - The NSL News reported on June 2nd that a new and exciting battle for bronze medals can be expected at the USPA Nationals 2019. Defiance is aiming at the 4-way Open Class bronze medals this year, after moving closer to Airspeed Odyssey at the USPA Nationals 2018.

The NSL News also added Ranch 2nd Generation to the two teams in medal contention behind Arizona Airspeed and SDC Rhythm XP.

However, Airspeed Odyssey member Craig Girard told the NSL News recently that his team does not have plans for the USPA Nationals. Instead, Airspeed Odyssey will compete at the FAI Outdoor World Cup on home turf in October this year. The 3rd place at the USPA Nationals 2018 qualified Odyssey for one of the four slots per nation at an FAI/IPC World Cup.

Odyssey's absence at the USPA Nationals 2019 turns Defiance into the position of the top contender for the 4-way Open Class bronze medals this year, even though it will not make it any easier to hold off Ranch 2nd Generation challenging from behind. In fact, the battle for bronze medals will most likely still be just as exciting without Airspeed Odyssey.

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USPA Nationals 2018		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open	J,19,K,22	P,13,A,E	H,G,Q,B,21	9,2,L	C,14,4	O,16,3	1,15,10	M,20,11	F,D,18,6	5,12,17	Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	23	29	34	28	23	24	19	24	26	25	255	25.5
2	SDC Rhythm XP	20	25	33	26	20	18	17	21	23	20	223	22.3
3	Airspeed Odyssey	20	25	28	22	18	20	17	19	20	17	206	20.6
4	Defiance	19	23	25	21	18	21	15	21	21	19	203	20.3
5	Ranch 2nd Generation	17	22	20	22	17	18	15	17	21	19	188	18.8
6	Spaceland Lite	15	19	24	19	16	18	12	17	17	14	171	17.1
7	Phoenix XP	17	17	21	18	13	17	12	16	16	14	161	16.1
8	Perris Force	12	11	21	17	13	13	12	17	14	14	144	14.4
9	Spaceland Dallas 350	17	0	17	17	13	16	13	14	20	16	143	14.3
10	Victorious Secret	11	13	16	12	10	9	9	12	13	10	115	11.5
11	SNE Fly Girls	8	8	10	12	9	11	9	9	8	8	92	9.2
12	Spaceland Heatwave	9	11	11	6	6	9	7	7	9	9	84	8.4

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The earlier story also mentioned that Defiance will travel to Arizona in October, as well. Ben Liston said that his team is planning to compete once again on the top level of the "best of the rest" at the FAI World Cup. Defiance had finished as the best unofficial amateur team in 5th place at the FAI World Cup 2017.

This means that Defiance will get a re-match with Airspeed Odyssey at the FAI World Cup, after facing off with Ranch 2nd Generation at the USPA Nationals.

Craig Girard said that he is also planning to bring Arizona Airspeedish back into 8-way action at the world cup. Airspeedish is eligible after the 2nd place in 8-way at last year's national championships. Defiance member Ben Liston may also compete in both events, as he was in the Airspeedish 8-way lineup last year.

Only Ranch 2nd Generation will not be able to have their scores posted on any leaderboard with both opposing teams.

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FAI World Cup 2005			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		4,H,7	12,16,19	M,J,O,5	8,15,K	G,C,20,D	9,14,Q	18,N,22	P,10,1	2,11,21	L,13,F,17	Total	Avg
1	Airspeed Odyssey	US	24	17	34	19	25	24	19	18	18	24	222	22.2
2	DeLand Fire	US	23	18	30	19	23	23	16	19	15	26	212	21.2
2	Black Cat	RU	23	18	30	18	23	23	19	18	15	25	212	21.2
4	Extreme.RU	RU	23	17	28	18	21	23	17	18	17	21	203	20.3
5	Fastrax	US	21	17	31	18	24	17	16	17	16	20	197	19.7
6	Arcteryx	NO	20	16	29	16	22	19	16	17	16	21	192	19.2
7	FSC Remscheid	DE	19	16	28	16	19	19	14	17	15	-	163	18.1
8	SkyLight Barkli	RU	20	16	28	13	17	18	15	17	17	-	161	17.9
9	Danez	DK	19	15	24	14	20	19	15	14	15	-	155	17.2
10	LaPalisse Maubeuge	FR	18	15	24	14	17	16	14	15	15	-	148	16.4
11	Army	UK	17	13	22	12	17	15	12	14	-	-	122	15.3
12	CTR Optimum	BR	13	10	18	11	14	14	11	12	-	-	103	12.9
13	South Park	UK	14	8	18	11	14	13	10	12	-	-	100	12.5
14	4-Motion	UK	14	10	19	11	9	13	11	11	-	-	98	12.3
15	Magic 4	LT	12	9	11	11	11	11	11	8	-	-	84	10.5

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Ranch 2nd Generation finished in 5th place at the USPA Nationals 2018, and the first four teams on the 4-way Open Class leaderboard seem to be committed to use their slots in the U.S. delegation for the FAI World Cup 2019. It would be the first time since the FAI World Cup 2000 that the U.S. delegation will use the maximum of four slots in 4-way Open.

Airspeed Odyssey competed once at a world cup before. It was in 2005 when Skydive Arizona hosted the event, five years after the previous turn on Airspeed home turf in Eloy. It was exactly the same lineup that won the FAI gold medals in 2005 and came back for a reunion at the USPA Nationals 2017 and 2018.

The FAI World Cup 2019 will take place 15 years after Airspeed Odyssey's first year together in 2005.

Only Ranch 2nd Generation will probably miss the world cup, even if they were winning the bronze medals at the USPA Nationals this year. Actually, only two team members will not be in Eloy: Joey Marshall and team videographer Kamuran "Sonic" Bayrasli. Jeana Billings, Michelle Karamon and Christopher Kuhlmann will compete in 8-way with Paraclete XP8, as the NSL News reported on May 28th...