posted Feb 27th, 2024 - Arizona Airspeed has been one of the most reliable NSL News partners in conversation about the sport and the events, the current lineup even more so than previous ones. They feel connected with the Formation Skydiving community by sharing their experiences and feedback with the NSL News audience as well as with the many Airspeed fans.

Niklas Hemlin, Mikhail Markine, Christopher Kuhlmann and Joey Marshall are not afraid of being addressed with difficult or critical questions and topics. It was naturally the Airspeed outcome of Round 1 that caught the attention of NSL News and audience. The same topic was discussed with the same lineup after the first round of the USPA Nationals 2023, as the NSL News reported on 29 September 2023.

The NSL News update included the live conversation where the team members explained what was going on in Round 1, which they had lost by five points to SDC Rhythm XP and three points to XPG4. It was no big deal for Airspeed, and they took the lead already just a round later and won all other ones, as well. The situation was exactly the same at last weekend's Paraclete XP Indoor Championship 2024, when Airspeed once again gave away the meet's opening round and followed up with nine sole highscores and 46 points ahead of the team in 2nd place, the Golden Knights 4-way team.

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NSL Live Talk with Arizona Airspeed after the conclusion of the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship 2024

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Paraclete XP Indoor 2024		1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open	4,21,F		6,14,5		H,10,K,8		2,D,B,15		O,J,P,22		20,17,18		L,M,C,19		E,13,3		A,1,Q,G		11,12,16		Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	28		26	-1	29		33		34		28		38	-1	29		39		26		310	31.0
2	Golden Knights	30		25		22	-1	28	-2	27	-2	20	-3	31	-4	26	-1	31	-3	24		264	26.4

The conversation with Arizona Airspeed before the award ceremony at Paraclete XP on Sunday was naturally related to the same topic, while it went a step further this time. The NSL News raised the question whether or not the reigning 4-way indoor and outdoor world champions have a more serious problem with the first round of a competition.

The topic is not new to the NSL News audience, as the psychology and special circumstances of Round 1 in any competition has been of special and fascinating interest for the NSL News and the audience. Most of the reigning and former world champions and celebrities in the sport confirmed the special situation before and throughout the first round of a competition, and how everybody seems to be vulnerable in the same situation.

New is the fact that the weak opening round happened once again to the currently strongest 4-way team in the world, less than half a year after the previous accident at the national outdoor championship at Skydive Paraclete XP, even though the damage was much smaller compared to the previous one. In fact, the Golden Knights launched the indoor competition with arguably their best round of the meet, while Arizona Airspeed delivered an average performance at best. The 2-point deficit turned into a 6-point lead in Round 3, after the Golden Knights had defended the top spot for one more round, which was still a big surprise. Airspeed then returned to the world's top level and never looked back.

USPA Nationals 2023		1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open	O,E,C,Q,H		20,M,J,1		10,12,B		4,18,L		11,17,5		8,9,22		A,19,K,13		G,3,2		21,14,15		D,F,7,N		Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	43	-8	29		22		23	-1	28		21		26		23		20		33	-2	268	26.8
2	XPG4	46	-2	21		17		17		20		17	-1	23		18		17		29	-1	225	22.5
3	SDC Rhythm XP	48	-4	19		17		16		20		17		22		17	-1	16		25	-1	217	21.7

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Round 1 of Arizona Airspeed - XPG4 - SDC Rhythm XP at the USPA Nationals 2023

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It was not even penalty damage this time that created the situation after Round 1. Airspeed had lost eight points due to infringements in the Super Sequence of Round 1 last year, five points at the outdoor world championship in Australia 2018. Only Niklas Hemlin and Mikhail Markine were in the lineup that lost to NMP PCH HayaBusa just in the opening round, which they could not recover from enough.

The current Airspeed lineup did not have serious opponents at the last two occasions with lost meet openers, and they could recover easily and quickly. However, the Belgian 4-way world champions of 2014 and 2016 did not allow Airspeed to get away with the devastating Round 1 in Australia.

The situation will most likely not be the same any longer this year as it was at the national outdoor and indoor championships in September 2023 and last weekend. The next serious opponent is growing in France and seems to be ready to challenge Airspeed at the FAI Indoor World Cup in April, according to the scores at the Wind Games and at Paraclete XP. Arizona Airspeed and Aethers Medjay have their next Round 1 together at the Shamrock Showdown 2024 before they travel to China. The pressure will be on Airspeed in the coming Round 1 situations, and the team is aware of it. They said that the lack of pressure in the main reason for performing below average. Enough pressure can be expected this year, and Round 1 has to turn into a strong part of the Airspeed skills to fend off the French challenge.

FAI Outdoor World Championship 2018			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		21,L,B,G		22,18,17		19,7,O		J,16,12		10,A,D,15		Q,M,F,C,N		H,20,P,13		6,14,11		E,2,5		4,1,3		Total	Avg
1	NMP-PCH Hayabusa	BE	32		21		27	-2	24		22	-3	62	-2	22	-2	20	-1	27	-1	22		279	27.9
2	Arizona Airspeed	US	26	-5	21		27	-1	24		24	-1	60	-1	26		22		27		20		277	27.7
3	Aerodyne Realfly	FR	29	-1	19		24	-2	23		24		52	-3	20	-3	17	-3	24		19		251	25.1

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Round 1 of NMP PCH HayaBusa - Arizona Airspeed - France 4-way Open in Australia 2018

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