posted Jul 29th, 2023 - The last topic on the list of NSL News coverage of the Summer Classic 2023 live from Skydive Paraclete XP was the comeback of the Golden Knights with a new lineup for the 4-way team. XPG4 and GK4 both competed at the event, took a break after it and were back a week later when Arizona Airspeed's Niklas Hemlin spent a week at Paraclete XP for 4-way coaching.

XPG4 and Lightspeed XP trained on the weekend after the Summer Classic, and the Golden Knights started on the following Monday. It turned to be a great opportunity for the NSL News to learn more about the current status of the U.S. Army team.

The first training day started at Skydive Paraclete XP, where the weather soon did not support outdoor training any longer. However, teams training at Paraclete XP usually have the alternative of transitioning to 4-way training in the 16-foot flying chamber five minutes away, whenever the weather does not cooperate, and if flying times are available at the windtunnel. The Golden Knights were prepared even better, as they brought a set of indoor gear that allows them to safely perform 4-way training under even more realistic conditions. They switched back and forth between training with and without the gear at the time of the NSL News visit on Monday.

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NSL Live Talk with the Golden Knights 4-way team GK4 - Indoor Training at SkyVenture Paraclete XP

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The previous update from the Golden Knights was posted after NSL Live Talk with the lineup that competed at the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship 2023 and placed 2nd behind Arizona Airspeed. Former 8-way team captain Andrew Starr was still leading the Golden Knights at that time.

After decades of consistent presence on the top of the leaderboards at national and international championships, the competition team of the Golden Knights had gone through serious changes in the past years, and it was the first time that there was not even any U.S. Army team at the USPA Nationals 2022.

The previous 4-way lineup (Jennifer Davidson, Drew Starr, Jesse Stahler, David Flynn, Reese Pendleton on camera) had still won the 4-way bronze medals at the USPA Nationals 2021, silver in 8-way. Drew Starr and Jesse Stahler were hopeful in February this year that there would be a comeback soon. The situation has changed again since the previous conversation. Paraclete XP and U.S. Army agreed to an 8-way cooperation, and the 4-way team is back in full training.

Paraclete XP Indoor 2023			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		15,14,5	19,9,1	10,J,17	M,B,G,E,F	3,18,4	Q,6,C,D	11,7,8	16,H,2	K,N,L,13	A,20,P,O	Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	US	26	28	31	60	25	42	25	29	37	37	340	34.0
2	Golden Knights GK4	US	20	27	30	58	20	34	23	26	30	28	296	29.6
3	Qatar Tigers	QA	21	26	26	58	22	34	21	24	29	31	292	29.2
Summer Classic/Pre-Nationals 2023			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		5,2,J	20,15,F	H,21,3	Q,1,10	11,K,6	9,P,B,G	16,N,14	19,12,O	M,18,C,7	22,D,13	Total	Avg
1	XPG4	US	18	17	19	18	19	28	18	18	21	17	193	19.3
2	Golden Knights GK4	US	19	15	19	10	16	23	14	13	19	15	163	16.3
3	Spaceland Saboteurs	US	11	15	16	14	14	21	13	13	17	12	146	14.6

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Golden Knights 4-way Team at the Paraclete XP Indoor Championships and the Summer Classic 2023

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Andrew Starr has left the U.S. Army and is a full member of Paraclete XP's new 8-way team, GKXP8. Two of his last 4-way team mates in February, Jesse Stahler and Mike Connors, have joined him in the GKXP8 lineup and train with Nick Birkner and Mitch Stockenberg in 4-way, with Andy Sippl on camera.

Mike Connors , Nick Birkner and Mitch Stockenberg are relatively new to 4-way training and competition, while Jesse Stahler is a multiple 8-way world champion of 2014, 2016 and 2018, with plenty of 4-way training and competition, as well, including VFS. His three 4-way team mates have attended only the two indoor meets in February 2022 and 2023 in a changing 4-way lineup, before completing the ten outdoor rounds of the Summer Classic.

With the U.S. Army returning to full support of the competition team, it is only a matter of time when the Golden Knights will be back on the top of 4-way and 8-way leaderboards. This new journey begins already at the FAI Outdoor World Cup 2023 where Jesse Stahler and Mike Connors will win their FAI 8-way gold medals with GKXP8, together with their former 4-way team mate Andrew Starr.

However, it is actually the complete Golden Knights 4-way lineup traveling to Norway soon. Nick Birkner and Mitch Stockenberg are the official GKXP8 alternates. Unfortunately, GK4 cannot compete in 4-way in Voss, as the four other U.S. teams use up the full contingent of the U.S. delegation, and the Golden Knights did not qualify at the USPA Nationals 2022. The Golden Knights will not miss the national outdoor championships this year.