posted Apr 22nd, 2024 - The NSL News update after Round 8 in 4-way Women at the FAI Indoor World Cup 2024 expected an exciting 2-round finish between NFTO and XPG4, even though the U.S. team had a 6-point lead over NFTO at that point in time.

It was not difficult to assume that the British 4-way Women team would still throw the hat into the ring and try to take at least the 2nd place in this duel behind China. The team of the hosting nation had already left all other 4-way Women team in the dust at the end of the second meet day with a 16-point lead. In fact, China's female lineup were in 3rd place on the combined AAA Class leaderboard, as the same NSL News update pointed out.

It was a tricky situation for XPG4 after Round 8. There was no doubt that NFTO would attack in the remaining two rounds, and they had all necessary experience how to do that. Securely in 3rd place, they could pick up the pace and had nothing to loose. It was much more difficult for XPG4 to create a strategy that would possibly defend the 2nd place successfully. NFTO and XPG4 both were probably surprised enough to find themselves far behind a 4-way Women team that they had met only once before at the FAI Indoor World Meet 2019, where China was not a threat for the teams in the medal positions. They first had to digest that they were competing only for silver and bronze medals before focusing on defending or winning the 2nd place.

FAI Indoor World Cup 2024	1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		11		Total	Avg
AAA Class	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
NFTO	26		27	-1	25	-1	25		23		36	-3	32	-1	27		23	-2	32		24	-1	276	27.6
Roster: Elizabeth Kennedy, Anna Lea, Vana Parker, Sian Stokes
XPG4	29		28	-2	26		25		24		39		31	-1	25	-1	23	-3	26	-3	23		276	27.6
Roster: Jeana Billings, Jennifer Davidson, Michelle Karamon, Brenn Richards
Wind Games 2024	1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		11		Total	Avg
AAA Class	16,4,17		G,E,9,Q		21,K,D,13		A,B,15,20		3,5,F		J,C,P,19		1,8,H		18,7,L		2,10,6		O,22,14		-		Total	Avg
NFTO	25		42	-2	27		27		28	-2	39		26		27		20	-1	21	-1	-		282	28.2
British Indoor Nationals 2023	1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		11		Total	Avg
AAA Class	12,H,9		16,E,1		G,17,7		2,O,L,C		13,11,B		K,6,A,15		N,5,F,Q		8,21,4		3,20,19		10,P,22		-		Total	Avg
NFTO	26		27		30		31		26		26		43		21		23		18		-		271	27.1
FAI Indoor World Championship 2023	1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		11		Total	Avg
AAA Class	E,14,3		K,F,22,17		O,7,5		N,2,18		L,P,12,15		M,10,D,H		16,9,C		1,G,J,8		4,Q,21		6,20,A		-		Total	Avg
NFTO	25	-1	29		30	-2	20	-3	22	-3	32		34	-1	27	-1	23	-2	26		-		268	26.8
Weembi FS Cup 2023	1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		11		Total	Avg
AAA Class	19,17,5		13,21,14		G,F,10,16		J,15,7		3,9,B		6,D,8		C,22,18		11,H,12		4,Q,P,L		O,A,E,M,K		-		Total	Avg
NFTO	29		22		28		29		35		23		22		16		34		50		-		288	28.8
British Indoor Nationals 2022	1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		11		Total	Avg
AAA Class	O,P,22,1		19,L,F,4		7,10,D		E,14,17		6,9,13		A,5,21		12,18,15		H,G,3,M		B,2,N,Q		J,11,16		-		Total	Avg
NFTO	23		26		25		23		29		29		19		24		32		25		-		255	25.5
Roster: Elizabeth Kennedy, Anna Lea, Vana Parker, Sian Stokes

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NFTO - XPG4 at the FAI Indoor World Cup 2024

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It was more difficult for XPG4 to handle the situation, as the new lineup with Jennifer Davidson had no competition experiences together at all. Golden Knights 4-way Women and 8-way world champion Jennifer Davidson had agreed to replace Anna Brunner this year. However, she was not available for the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship 2024, where former XPG4 member Morgan Womble substituted in the point slot.

XPG4 could use the ten competition rounds in February only to test the new slots that were assigned to accommodate Jennifer Davidson, who used to be in the point slot for the Golden Knights. Michelle Karamon switched from point to outside center, Jeana Billings from outside to inside center. Tail Brenn Richards had a new piece partner.

The next competition for XPG4 was the indoor world cup in China, and it was impressive enough that the new lineup had the 6-point lead after Round 8. It was clear that the same performance and pace of the first eight rounds might not be enough to fend off an attacking NFTO challenger going on a faster pace. The 6-point lead was not convincing enough, especially with a fast sequence coming in Round 10. Picking up the pace would be a risky strategy for XPG4 who had brought up their performance to the team's highest level with the little training that they had before traveling to China. The 28.4 average after Round 8 was at least enough to generate the 6-point lead over NFTO.

FAI Indoor World Cup 2024			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		11		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Women		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	China	CN	27	-4	33	-1	31		26	-1	21	-3	44		32	-3	29		29		33	-1	-		305	30.5
2	NFTO	UK	26		27	-1	25	-1	25		23		36	-3	32	-1	27		23	-2	32		24	-1	276	27.6
3	XPG4	US	29		28	-2	26		25		24		39		31	-1	25	-1	23	-3	26	-3	23		276	27.6
4	China 2	CN	25	-2	30		25	-1	19	-2	14	-4	34		27	-1	19	-4	20	-1	19	-5	-		232	23.2
5	Indonesia	ID	22	-4	23	-5	21	-3	18	-4	18	-1	30	-2	25	-1	20	-1	16	-5	26		-		219	21.9
6	Fire Phoenix	IT	16	-5	15	-4	16	-1	14		14	-1	23	-2	19	-2	17	-3	13	-2	19		-		166	16.6
7	Singapore	SG	17		15	-3	16	-1	14		11	-2	23	-4	16	-3	15		13	-1	17	-1	-		157	15.7
8	Thailand	TH	11	-8	15	-3	15	-3	11	-2	11	-2	20	-5	17	-2	13	-3	15	-1	14	-1	-		142	14.2
9	Yangon	MM	8	-11	15	-2	16		10	-3	12	-1	23	-1	16	-3	15		10	-5	15		-		140	14.0

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China 4-way Women at the FAI Indoor World Cup 2024 and at the FAI Indoor World Championship 2019

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The situation was completely different for NFTO who attended their 6th indoor competition together since December 2022 with the same lineup. Vana Parker, Sian Stokes and Anna Lea, formerly Anna Hicks, have trained and competed together since April 2018, and Elizabeth Kennedy joined the lineup first time for the British Indoor Nationals 2022.

The well trained and seasoned British 4-way Women team have experienced all situations and pressure that a 4-way competition could create, and the 6-point deficit after Round 8 would not be the first time charging from behind.

The slowest sequence of the competition in Round 9 was followed by the second fastest one, which would offer the opportunity to attack XPG4 and the 14-foot flying chamber with a higher pace. XPG4 matched the NFTO score for Round 9, and the 6-point lead was still intact, before Round 10 became the game changer. NFTO picked up three points with the faster pace in Round 10, and three point deductions for XPG4 eliminated the 6-point lead. NFTO and XPG4 were tied in 2nd place after Round 10, and the U.S. team would still be the silver medal winner with the highest score in Round 6. However, there was still enough time for an extra round next day, and the NFTO momentum continued to win the tie-breaker. In the meantime, China had extended the lead from 16 points after Round 8 to 29 points after Round 10 and increased the indoor meet average from 25.4 in 2019 to 30.5 last week.