posted Mar 23rd, 2023 - The re-match of the currently four best 4-way teams in the world at the Shamrock Showdown 2023 did not leave much room on the top of the leaderboard for other teams, even though the lineups of SDC Rhythm XP and Pour Decisions included world and national champions.

The NSL News introduced these two teams with the preview on March 9th, the day before Round 1 at Skydive DeLand. The Shamrock Showdown was defining the starting point for all participating teams at the beginning of the next time period for all of them.

The four national teams in the Top 4 positions are looking at a new 2-year cycle towards the next outdoor world championship. SDC Rhythm XP's senior member Doung Barron has an even longer time period in his mind with the new lineup, while the Shamrock Showdown was the start of the 2023 outdoor season for Pour Decisions, who have plans until this year's USPA Nationals.

Pour Decisions completed the first six rounds with Eliana Rodriguez, and Arizona Airspeed's inside center Chris Kuhlmann stepped in for the remaining four rounds. The 15.8 average after the ten rounds with a slow competition draw is a promising start for the new team, and the next positions behind the USPA Open Class medal rankings are probably in reach.

Shamrock Showdown 2023			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class		14,O,7		C,9,11		4,2,F		Q,13,21		B,6,L,19		1,22,G		K,18,8		M,3,17		H,15,12		D,20,10		Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	US	26		28		25	-1	24		27	-1	21		22		27		22	-1	22		244	24.4
2	France 4-way Open	FR	26		25	-1	23		24		25	-1	19		19		26		19		18		224	22.4
3	NMP-PCH Hayabusa	BE	21	-1	23	-2	24	-1	19	-1	26		19	-1	18	-1	26	-1	21		20	-1	217	21.7
4	Qatar Tigers	QA	21		22		17	-1	21		23		18		17		22		17	-1	19		197	19.7
5	SDC Rhythm XP	US	20	-1	20		20		19	-1	21		14	-2	15	-2	22		15	-2	14	-1	180	18.0
6	Pour Decisions	US	18		19		16		17		19		13	-1	12	-2	18		12	-1	14		158	15.8

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SDC Rhythm XP - Pour Decisions at the Shamrock Showdown 2023

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SDC Rhythm XP is surely aiming at the USPA medal positions in September this year. The previous lineup, with Carl Kallgren in the point slot, won the bronze medals last year. Doug Barron, Chris Webb, Keith Conner and team videographer Charlie Mcgee stepped onto the USPA podium together with Hammertime and Pour Decisions members Eliana Rofriguez and Craig Girard.

Chris Webb, Keith Conner and Charlie Mcgee won their first USPA Open Class medals at Skydive Chicago in September 2022, while Doug Barron is used to the special place at the award ceremonies. He won his own first USPA Open Class medal with the 2nd place at the national championship of 2016.

He and his Carolina Turbo XP team mate Andrew Happick had joined SDC Rhythm XP at the beginning of the 2016 season and moved up from the 4th place of their previous team in 2015 to the silver medal position a year later. Doug Barron has won a USPA Open Class medal each year ever since, peaking with the 1st place in 2019, followed by the 2nd place at the FAI Outdoor World Championship in August 2021.

There is probably no doubt that the new Rhythm lineup will be back in the USPA medal rankings, even though the 18.0 average at the Shamrock Showdown is the lowest result in a 10-round meet for any Rhythm lineup since the 17.5 at the Shamrock Showdown 2010, 13 years ago.

Shamrock Showdown 2010			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class		12,2,B	E,K,M,H,11	L,3,22	C,4,18	13,D,J,1	20,16,17	Q,14,8	O,F,6,10	21,G,9	P,19,5	Total	Avg
1	Aerodyne Aerokart	FR	21	32	21	19	26	21	22	26	29	27	244	24.4
2	NMP-PCH Hayabusa	BE	20	33	17	22	23	19	19	22	26	22	223	22.3
3	Perris Fury	US	19	30	16	19	21	18	21	18	27	19	208	20.8
4	Aerokart Deep Blue Maubeuge	FR	17	29	16	17	19	18	18	21	24	22	201	20.1
5	Paraclete XP4	US	18	29	16	17	20	16	17	22	20	22	197	19.7
6	Black Cat	RU	17	28	17	19	18	18	16	23	21	18	195	19.5
7	Genesis	US	18	27	17	15	20	17	15	21	22	17	189	18.9
8	Mass Defiance	US	17	23	16	17	18	16	15	16	21	20	179	17.9
9	SDC Rhythm XP	US	14	25	16	17	15	15	15	19	20	19	175	17.5
10	Spaceland Blue	US	15	22	15	15	17	15	17	20	20	11	167	16.7
11	Golden Knights Gold	US	12	24	13	14	17	15	16	16	15	17	159	15.9
12	Bodyflight Voluntas	DK	11	21	15	14	16	13	11	17	20	16	154	15.4
13	Speedy Kids XP	US	12	22	14	13	16	14	13	15	17	16	152	15.2
14	Golden Knights Black	US	13	22	12	10	14	14	13	16	18	17	149	14.9
15	DeLand Shmeland XP	US	15	23	12	10	12	13	14	14	15	16	144	14.4
16	Teiwaz Falcon	US	12	17	12	12	14	11	12	15	16	13	134	13.4
17	Fallout	US	11	18	10	12	13	12	14	15	14	12	131	13.1
18	Carolina Turbo XP	US	9	20	10	10	12	12	15	14	16	12	130	13.0
19	Friday 13	RU	11	17	10	9	12	13	9	15	15	17	128	12.8
20	Kaizen	UK	10	17	12	9	9	11	12	14	16	11	121	12.1

The Shamrock Showdown 2010 was the starting point for a new Rhythm lineup, as well. Thiago Gomes, Rob Radez, JaNette and Steve Lefkowitz, with Jason Imamura on camera posted a 17.5 average at Skydive DeLand in March 2010. The same lineup concluded their 2-year commitment with a 4th place at the USPA Nationals 2011, one point behind bronze, three points behind silver medals, and with a 21.5 average.

A similar progression within one year would bring the new Rhythm lineup to USPA medal positions this year. However, there could be tough opposition at the national outdoor championship in September. Arizona Airspeed is still out of reach for any other U.S. team at the moment, and the results at the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship 2023 were showing strong additional opponents.

The new Rhythm lineup delivered a very impressive performance for the indoor bronze medals, as the NSL News reported on February 27th. The Golden Knights still placed themselves between Airspeed and Rhythm and may want to do the same at the USPA Nationals.

Skydive Midwest NEXT and XPG4 will have their own eyes on the medal positions. Both did not attend the Shamrock Showdown to define their starting point. XPG4 have been in the middle of the indoor preparations for the FAI Indoor World Championship next month. SDMW NEXT were in training on the U.S. west coast. Doug Barron was back on the indoor podium at Paraclete XP too, after missing out in 2022. The new lineup may have an even better starting point considering the combination of the recent indoor and outdoor results.

USPA Nationals 2011			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		M,5,13	21,14,22	12,20,D	11,Q,16	O,C,10,K	P,L,19,8	18,6,2	15,9,G	7,F,17	A,B,N,J,3	Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	US	25	19	19	22	26	24	21	26	31	30	243	24.3
2	Golden Knights Gold	US	18	17	18	21	24	23	19	21	29	28	218	21.8
3	Perris Fury	US	20	17	16	21	26	22	15	21	29	29	216	21.6
4	SDC Rhythm XP	US	22	17	18	21	24	20	19	22	26	26	215	21.5
5	Paraclete XP4	US	21	16	16	20	23	19	17	22	26	28	208	20.8
6	Throw Down	US	18	14	14	18	22	21	17	19	22	25	190	19.0
G	Black Cat	RU	19	15	16	19	20	18	15	19	16	26	183	18.3
7	Oldspeed	US	16	11	15	18	21	16	16	21	21	26	181	18.1
8	DNR	US	19	14	16	14	18	16	15	20	24	23	179	17.9
9	Golden Knights	US	18	12	15	18	19	18	16	14	21	23	174	17.4
10	Golden Knights Black	US	18	14	15	16	16	18	16	17	21	20	171	17.1
11	Carolina Turbo XP	US	14	10	13	15	17	14	13	16	18	20	150	15.0
12	Team Captain	US	14	13	11	15	12	14	13	16	18	19	145	14.5
13	Animal Unleashed	US	14	11	12	11	15	16	11	15	18	21	144	14.4
14	SDC Furies XP	US	13	11	12	16	7	15	13	16	19	18	140	14.0
15	Supersonic	US	14	12	8	14	16	15	11	11	18	20	139	13.9