posted Oct 4th, 2024 - It's almost time for outdoor world championship acton at Crystal Coast, where Paraclete XP and Skydive Chicago are hosting the 26th FAI World Formation Skydiving Championships together. Friday and Saturday are the last training days, and Round 1 is scheduled for Sunday morning.

The NSL News has moved from DeLand to the event site at Crystal Coast Skydiving in Beaufort, North Carolina, and the six teams who made the same road trip are now jumping from Twin Otters at the competition site. There is one exception though, as not all members of Norway's 4-way Women team Thyra made it to Crystal Coast.

Silvana Disch, the youngest team member, got sick in the last days of the training camp in DeLand and had to withdraw from training, competition and road trips. It's the bad luck that any team fears like a nightmare.

Coach Carl-Erik Tuv, who replaced Silvana Disch in her inside center slot for a different reason throughout Tyra's first three rounds of the Shamrock Showdown 2024, cannot step in this time. Thyra needed very quickly a replacement for a 4-way Women lineup, and they were fortunate to find a more than adequate substitute. Former Arcteryx member Ditta Valsdottir was available and is already on her way to North Carolina.

---

---

NSL TV Unfiltered: Training on Friday Morning

---

Ditta Valsdottir was in the front piece for the Norwegian national team in 4-way Open between 2004 and 2009, the first four years in the point slot, followed by outside center work. Arcteryx represented Norway in 4-way Open at the three outdoor world championships (2004 - 2006 - 2008) after the DeLand Norgies stepped back. Arcteryx finished in 5th place in Maubeuge 2008 with a 22.5 average after eight completed rounds.

Ditta Valsdottir actually started with the Norgie Girls in 1999 and competed at two outdoor world championships for Norway in 4-way Women (2001 - 2003) before switching to 4-way Open with Arcteryx. She now returns to her 4-way roots with Thyra in 4-way Women.

Silvana Disch has been the inside center for Thyra, and Ditta Valsdottir now has to step in for the rear piece. Her wealth of 4-way experiences and the rear piece knowledge of coach Carl-Erika Tuv, former tail in the bronze medal lineup of the DeLand Norgies in 1999, 2001 and 2003, will allow her to fill the slot adequately and as quickly as it is currently needed. Thyra arrived today at Crystal Coast and plan to use Saturday for warm-up jumps with the new lineup.

FAI Outdoor World Championship 2024			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Women Power Rankings		TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	Total	Avg
1	XPG4	US	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1	China	UK	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3	Nephtys	FR	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
4	Meltemi Oceanside Illertissen	DE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5	Thyra	NO	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

The NSL News arrival at the competition site also allowed the confirmation of the 4-way Women team from China and the removal of NFTO from the preview leaderboard and the NSL Power Rankings. It is a fact now that the still reigning 4-way Women world champions of 2022 from Great Britain will not try to defend their title.

There will be a new outdoor world champion in 4-way Women, and it will either be the U.S. national team XPG4 or China. The lineup of the Chinese 4-way Women team is identical with the one who competed at the FAI Indoor World Cup 2024 and were shocking the Formation Skydiving competition world with the 30.5 indoor average and the 3rd place on the combined AAA Class leaderboard.

The arrival and participation of China in 4-way Women changes the dynamics of the potential U.S. FS Sweep dramatically. GKXP8 and Arizona Airspeed are still arguably the top contenders in 4-way Open and 8-way and will probably secure the first two sets of gold medals for the U.S. delegation. XPG4 has been expected to complete the horizontal U.S. Sweep, after successful double duties for Jeana Billings in 8-way and 4-way Women. Now There is at least a question mark behind both possible accomplishments for the U.S. delegation. China may be able to interfere in 4-way Women with the indoor lineup competing at Crystal Coast.

FAI Indoor World Cup 2024			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		11		Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class Top 10		8,C,7		K,G,12,B		6,4,H		20,1,5		15,10,A		F,O,P,21		19,M,9		J,13,E,22		16,3,N		L,Q,D,18		2,11,17		Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	US	35		36	-2	32		29		29		44		39		29		31		39		-		343	34.3
2	Aethers	FR	32	-1	33		31		27		26		40	-2	36		28	-1	30		36	-1	-		319	31.9
3	China Women	CN	27	-4	33	-1	31		26	-1	21	-3	44		32	-3	29		29		33	-1	-		305	30.5
4	Qatar Tigers	QA	29	-1	32	-1	25	-3	25		25	-1	41		35		28		27		33		-		300	30.0
5	NFTO	UK	26		27	-1	25	-1	25		23		36	-3	32	-1	27		23	-2	32		24	-1	276	27.6
6	XPG4	US	29		28	-2	26		25		24		39		31	-1	25	-1	23	-3	26	-3	23		276	27.6
7	Papea	ES	30		28		25		24	-1	23	-2	38	-1	33		25	-1	22	-1	26	-3	-		274	27.4
8	Echochamber Oceanside	SE	24	-2	30	-2	27		25		22	-1	37		29	-3	24		25		28	-1	-		271	27.1
9	China Men	CN	25		27		26		24		22		33	-4	29	-2	25	-1	20	-3	30		-		261	26.1
10	Fly X	IT	27	-1	26	-2	23	-2	22		22	-1	37	-2	30	-1	24		21	-3	27	-2	-		259	25.9