posted Dec 19th, 2019 - It used to be so easy. Golden Knights compete for the United States in 8-way and bring back FAI gold medals. Arizona Airspeed do the 4-way job and add another set of Formation Skydiving medals to the U.S. collection at the world meets.

That's history, literally.

No Golden Knights, no Arizona Airspeed next year in Russia, after Paraclete XP8's expected 8-way victory and the upset in 4-way Open. SDC Rhythm XP defeating Airspeed at the USPA Nationals was a 4-way revolution, as I called it in BSM TURNING POINTS in September. XP8 winning in 8-way was not so surprising, as the Golden Knights were re-building and XP8 came to the nationals as the reigning 8-way indoor world champions.

However, it became much more complicated from the U.S. point of view in both events after the FAI Outdoor World Cup in October.

Airspeed came back with vengeance on their home turf and punished Rhythm with an 18-point difference - after the jump-off finish at Skydive Paraclete XP in September. Even that was not really a big surprise for many observers. Rhythm had spent all their energy to be ready for the ultimate challenge at the USPA Nationals and were probably at least mentally exhausted - or relieved, you pick what you like. They had worked so hard for so many years to get to where they were at the USPA award ceremony: on top of the podium. What else is there to go for at this point in time?

TURNING POINTS - COMPLICATED, COMPLICATED...

So, it was not such a big surprise that Rhythm could not re-charge quickly enough for another peak performance, while each jump with Matt Davidson made Airspeed a little bit stronger. And they HAD to win in Eloy to make their point. The whole mental game was favoring Airspeed.

It became already interesting enough as soon as XP8 and Rhythm stepped down from the podium in Raeford. They were the new USPA champions and had won the rights to represent the United States at the next FAI World Championship of Formation Skydiving in 2020.

The first questions came to the back of the mind when Russia's 8-way guest team, Tanay 8, were called to the podium before the USPA medals were handed out. The Russian 8-way team had outscored XP8 on their Paraclete home turf by four points, and they left the Golden Knights behind by 12 points at the same time, on the same U.S. home soil.

I guess I don't even have to mention that NMP PCH HayaBusa, the Belgian 4-way indoor and outdoor world champions visited too, and put 27 points behind themselves and both U.S. teams.

All that alone gave more than enough food for thought and room for speculation. There was no doubt any longer that the trip to Russia next year would be one of the most challenging ones in history for the U.S. Formation Skydiving delegation, at least in the two most traditional events, 4-way Open and 8-way Open. HayaBusa seems to be out of reach for any other 4-way team in the world, and Russia is on the way to be the top contender for new 8-way gold medals, after winning the last one in 2003.

The situation after the USPA Nationals was interesting enough, and we did not really need the results of the FAI World Cup to see the challenges and complications that are waiting for the U.S. national teams. Hang on, we will get to the world cup soon ...

I have pointed out often enough for the NSL News updates that Rhythm members Steve Lefkowitz and Andrew Happick have also been training and competing with Paraclete XP8. Both teams knew there was at least a realistic possibility of winning both 4- and 8-way, as Airspeed was in trouble after losing Ari Perelman only a few months before the USPA Nationals.

Now it had become reality, and the thoughts of double duties in Russia 2020 had to be taken seriously. You may remember that I had a series of conversations with French national coach Mathieu Bernier, and that I challenged him about the new "French Mission Impossible." He is the only competitor in history who won gold medals in 4-way and 8-way at the same world meet, and he is trying the same with his current FS delegation. I think that you can't do it these days; he says that nothing is impossible...

Well, what shall I say now? After the USPA award ceremony, the U.S. delegation is in the same situation, except there are only two competitors with double duties, while France has all 8-way members competing in 4-way at the same time, and the 4-way Women team is expected to win gold in their event and then in 8-way as well. If it is a "Mission Impossible" for France, how could it be different for the U.S. delegation?

Now to the FAI World Cup, which came less than three weeks after the USPA Nationals, and the results did not make it any easier. The event was a preview and a test of what has to be expected at the world meet next year under even more challenging conditions. All teams will compete on Russian home turf in Tanay, Siberia. It will not be Skydive Paraclete XP in Raeford or Skydive Arizona in Eloy...

The double duties are much more challenging, as well, compared to USPA Nationals, where the events are separated from each other: first the completion of only 4-way competition, followed by only 8-way. FAI world cups and world meets follow different rules. All four Formation Skydiving events (4-way Open - 4-way Women - 4-way VFS - 8-way Open) take place at the same time and on the same days. The 4-way teams may compete in the morning and will be released after half a day, and the 8-way teams are up in the afternoon, or vice versa.

No matter which order, it makes for very long and challenging days for participants in both events. Double duties require mental and physical transition from one event to the other, while the strongest opponents are either resting for the remainder of the day or are coming well rested to their part of the competition day.

Steve Lefkowitz and Andrew Happick and their 4-way and 8-way teams experienced this situation for the first time at a world cup or world meet, and I have not explored their experiences yet, which I hope to do soon. It is always a very interesting situation, as it was with Mathieu Bernier in 2010 and with other competitors who have performed double duties, too.

Last and by far not least, the actual results of the FAI Outdoor World Cup in Eloy added a burden to the U.S. delegation as well. Paraclete XP8 ended up even further behind Russia's Tanay 8, and the young French 8-way team came from nowhere to second place, also ahead of XP8. What now?

Both top contenders in 2020, NMP PCH HayaBusa in 4-way and Tanay in 8-way, will focus only on one event, and the French 8-way team has already been focusing almost completely only on 8-way.

It happened only twice since 1985 (2003 and 2010) that the U.S. delegation did not win a gold medal in 4-way or 8-way Open. I can't wait to see the plan that XP8 and Rhythm come up with. In all honesty, I am glad that I don't have to make the call about what's best to do...