posted Sep 24th, 2019 - Every competition has a winner and teams and athletes who are not finishing in 1st place. In fact, the vast majority of teams and competitors, everybody except for the winner, is ending up behind the top spot. The most competitive teams in each sport are fully aware of their chances to win or lose and are usually prepared for any outcome.

However, it is still an emotional situation for the teams behind the winner, even if they are prepared for ending up in 2nd place. It was the first time for Arizona Airspeed not to finish in 1st place at USPA Nationals since 2006. However, team members Niklas Hemlin and Mikhail Markine took the time to discuss their 4-way Open Class competition a day after the jump-off finish and the 2nd place behind SDC Rhythm XP.

Niklas Hemlin and Mikhail Markine were both digesting the 4-way competition by competing with the Airspeed 8-way team, and together with all Rhythm members in 16-way, and they said that it took their minds off the outcome of the 4-way competition, at least for a little while.

Airspeed member Thiago Gomes was in the 16-way lineup, as well, after skipping the 8-way event. Matt Davidson was back with the Golden Knights in 16-way. He had also joined the U.S. Army's 8-way lineup after Round 3. The Airspeed/Paraclete 16-way combination (AZXP) won the 6-round event, and the Golden Knights ended up in 4th place.

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USPA Nationals 2019			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		11		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		7,C,H,P		J,21,20		O,3,11		B,2,K,E		8,Q,10		15,D,F,12		N,L,M,14		6,1,9		A,18,13		G,4,5		17,16,22		Total	Avg
1	SDC Rhythm XP	US	41		22		21	-1	33		21		23		27		25		24		25		21	-1	262	26.2
2	Arizona Airspeed	US	40	-1	24		22	-2	32		19	-2	24		29		25		21	-2	26	-1	20	-2	262	26.2

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Niklas Hemlin and Mikhail Markine are now looking forward to the re-match with SDC Rhythm XP at the FAI Outdoor World Cup 2019. They have scheduled four more training days, where they will add to the total of 300+ jumps that Airspeed completed with Matt Davidson in the lineup.

The world cup will be the last meet for Thiago Gomes with Arizona Airspeed. He and Mikhail Markine were Rhythm members before they joined Airspeed. Thiago Gomes helped Rhythm to get closer to Airspeed between 2010 and 2012. Mikhail Markine did the same between 2013 and 2015. They were not team mates before they both joined Arizona Airspeed and have been in the same lineup since 2016.

Niklas Hemlin, Thiago Gomes and Mikhail Markine had Thomas Hughes in the 2016 lineup and scrambled their slots to the current ones when Ari Perelman became the new point in 2017.

Ari Perelman left the team earlier this year, and Matt Davidson had to learn the point slot quickly. He used to train and compete with different Golden Knights 4-way teams mostly as the inside center. Thiago Gomes has vast point experiences, as he started in this slot for Airspeed. However, Airspeed decided to continue with the current slot configuration when Matt Davidson joined the team.

4-way outdoor duels between Arizona Airspeed and SDC Rhythm XP since 2017

Matt Davidson finished with his best personal outdoor average, significantly higher than ever before with the Golden Knights, and it was almost enough to fix Airpeed's emergency situation. Mikhail Markine said during the NSL Live Talk that Matt Davidson was "everything that you could possibly ask for as a team mate".

There is even a chance that Matt Davison might continue with Arizona Airspeed after the world cup. Mikhail Markine and Niklas Hemlin plan to re-build their team after the world cup next month, and they said that Matt Davidson is considering this option. They still need a 4th team member, while SDC Rhythm XP move on into the 5th year with the current lineup.

SDC Rhythm XP and Arizona Airspeed both have to find a way how to get closer to NMP PCH HayaBusa, even though they "stole the show" once again with the next jump-off thriller last week. Niklas Hemlin and Mikhail Markine both were in the 2017 lineup and won the previous jump-off for bronze medals against Russia's Black Cat team at the FAI Indoor World Meet 2017, where the Belgian indoor and outdoor world champions finished 27 points ahead in 1st place.

The time, it was an outdoor difference of 27 points in Raeford. However, Niklas Hemlin and Mikhail Markine hope that they will soon be able to challenge any HayaBusa lineup again - not at the FAI World Meet next year though, where SDC Rhythm XP will compete for the U.S. delegation...