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Scott Rhodes won all his six gold medals consecutively with the Golden Knights between 1987 and 1997, while Craig Girard spread out his six 8-way medals over a time period of 32 years (1989 - 2021). Matt Davidson won his six world championship titles between 2012 and 2024, and he is the most current one of the three 8-way world champions, event though he was already the alternate for earlier Golden Knights lineups.
His wife Jennifer Davidson is a 4-way and 8-way world champion, as well. She won her first title in 4-way Women for the Golden Knights in Ottawa 2016. It was the same event where Matt Davidson won his third 8-way gold medal with the Golden Knights. The Davidsons joined forces in 8-way after the 2016 event and won their next FAI gold medals together with the Golden Knights in Australia 2018. They both did not continue after winning a world championship title together, while it was surely not the end of their competition career. Both had different reasons to take a break from high-level training and competition.
FAI World Meet 2018 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Total | Avg | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rank | 8-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 | Golden Knights | US | 24 | 21 | 18 | 24 | 19 | -2 | 29 | 21 | 18 | -1 | 17 | 33 | 224 | 22.4 | ||||||||
2 | Tanay | RU | 21 | -1 | 21 | 17 | 22 | -1 | 20 | 28 | 16 | -1 | 18 | 18 | 28 | -1 | 209 | 20.9 | ||||||
3 | Qatar Falcons | QA | 19 | 16 | 15 | 18 | -1 | 14 | -1 | 21 | 16 | 14 | -1 | 14 | 23 | -1 | 170 | 17.0 | ||||||
4 | MicroClim8 | UK | 17 | 15 | 12 | 14 | -1 | 15 | 21 | 15 | 12 | -2 | 13 | 18 | -1 | 152 | 15.2 | |||||||
5 | JYR8 | AU | 14 | -1 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 11 | -1 | 20 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 21 | 150 | 15.0 | ||||||||
6 | Airbus | DE | 13 | 15 | 9 | -2 | 15 | 11 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 16 | -2 | 129 | 12.9 | ||||||||
7 | Brazil | BR | 11 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 16 | 107 | 10.7 |
Two years later, and after the corona virus crisis, he committed to a full slot for the ASXP8 combination of Airspeed and Paraclete XP members. He had to step back for health reasons before AZXP8 won the next FAI gold medals in 8-way Open in Tanay 2021.
Matt Davidson was back a year later for the next XP8 lineup, with two more former Golden Knights (Brian Krause, Craig Girard), and together they added the next 8-way gold medals to their collections in Eloy 2022. Matt Davidson committed once again for two more years, this time with GKXP8 and three different Golden Knights, his former team mates Andrew Starr and Jesse Stahler, plus new Golden Knights member Mike Connors in the lineup. This GKXP8 lineup produced the next 8-way gold medals at Crystal Coast 2024. The situation last year was the same for the Davidsons as it was in 2016, as Jennifer had her comeback to 4-way and 8-way competition with XPG4 in 4-way Women. GKXP8 with Matt Davidson won the 8-way gold medals, XPG4 with Jennifer Davidson the 4-way Women event.
FAI Outdoor World Championship 2024 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Total | Avg | ||||||||||||
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Rank | 8-way Open | 14,G,13 | J,C,17,12 | D,A,21,P | 18,B,H,F | E,L,O,8 | 22,2,K | 6,7,16 | 9,20,15 | 3,M,N,4 | 5,1,10 | Total | Avg | |||||||||||
1 | GKXP8 | US | 19 | -1 | 21 | -1 | 22 | 26 | 21 | -1 | 21 | -1 | 25 | 24 | 37 | 23 | 239 | 23.9 | ||||||
2 | Qatar Falcons | QA | 16 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 17 | 16 | -1 | 20 | 19 | 25 | -2 | 19 | 190 | 19.0 | ||||||||
3 | Operation Adler | DE | 14 | 14 | 11 | -2 | 13 | -1 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 20 | -2 | 15 | 143 | 14.3 | |||||||
4 | Netunos | BR | 10 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 5 | -3 | 9 | 12 | 9 | -1 | 12 | -1 | 10 | -1 | 92 | 9.2 | ||||||
5 | Ap8thy | UK | 11 | 6 | -1 | 8 | 11 | 6 | -1 | 6 | -1 | 10 | -1 | 8 | -1 | 14 | 11 | 91 | 9.1 |
However, Matt Davidson was not back for XP8 at the national indoor championship in February. It was not really much of a surprise, as other GKXP8 members of the 2024 world champion lineup (Jesse Stahler, Andrew Starr, Mike Connors) made room for new members Jennifer Davidson, Jill Stephenson, Brandon Kashani and Ian Pedowitz, as well.
The complete world champion outdoor lineup of 2024 will still be back for the upcoming FAI Indoor World Championship 2025, including Matt Davidson. His wife Jennifer will be back on the bench, where she was last year for GKXP8, and the new situation after the indoor world meet will not be the same as it was at the end of the 2016 season.
Jennifer Davidson will take her full slot for the new XP8 lineup, while Matt Davidson takes his next break from high-level training and competition. Neither Scott Rhodes nor Craig Girard can pass him on the top of the historic 8-way medal rankings. Only Kirk Verner will have the chance to join the 3-way in the top positions at the next outdoor world championship in 2026. It would also be the event where he could tie Craig Girard with a total of eight FAI outdoor gold medals in 4-way and 8-way combined.
Paraclete XP Indoor Championship 2025 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Total | Avg | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rank | 8-way Open | J,16,N,G | 5,O,M,B | 12,1,18 | 17,K,20 | 14,Q,3 | L,19,11 | 15,10,A | 6,E,P,D | C,9,7 | F,22,13 | Total | Avg | |
1 | XP8 | US | 38 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 22 | 27 | 27 | 24 | 25 | 277 | 27.7 |
2 | Prison 9 | US | 29 | 21 | 24 | 22 | 23 | 17 | 23 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 216 | 21.6 |
3 | Infinite Octane | US | 26 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 23 | 18 | 21 | 24 | 16 | 18 | 203 | 20.3 |
4 | Bra Nok XP | US | 24 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 15 | 19 | 21 | 17 | 17 | 193 | 19.3 |
5 | Netunos | BR | 16 | 20 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 11 | 11 | 20 | 14 | 11 | 154 | 15.4 |
6 | Team Canada | CA | 18 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 7 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 135 | 13.5 |
7 | Papa D's G8ngsteRhs | US | 11 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 16 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 10 | 11 | 130 | 13.0 |
8 | Platinum XP8 | US | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 8 | 10 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 119 | 11.9 |
9 | 34 Points | US | 9 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 92 | 9.2 |