posted Dec 23rd, 2025 - When Jesse Stahler’s newly published NSL Profile went online, it did not take long for the audience to notice that something important was missing. One of the former Golden Knights team captains soon alerted NSL News that a major achievement had been omitted from Stahler’s competitive record.

The oversight became apparent while reviewing the career of Sean Sweeney, one of the more recent Golden Knights captains whose accomplishments have often gone underreported. Sweeney succeeded Brian Krause as team captain and selected Jesse Stahler for the lineup that would later win gold at the FAI World Championship in Prostejov 2014. It was Sweeney himself who confirmed to the NSL News that Prostejov marked Stahler’s first world championship title.

Back in Dubai 2012, Stahler was still waiting for an opening in the active lineup during the Golden Knights’ dramatic 8-way comeback. That event saw Brian Krause and Sean Sweeney win their first gold medals, edging France by just four points (229–225). Stahler remained on the bench in Dubai, while another future team captain, Andrew Starr, served as videographer. In Ottawa 2016, however, Sean Sweeney, Jesse Stahler, and Andrew Starr reunited to successfully defend the William H. Ottley Sword—also known as the 8-way Excalibur—for the U.S. delegation.

FAI Outdoor World Championship 2014			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Total	Avg
Rank	8-way Open		E,3,C,5	F,6,D,21	19,H,2	M,4,1	O,14,A,P	8,J,16	7,11,12	22,20,15	17,G,18	13,B,9	Q,10,N,L	Total	Avg
1	Golden Knights	US	24	22	15	26	22	21	19	26	21	20	-	216	21.6
2	Barkli 8	RU	19	18	13	25	14	16	16	19	18	13	20	171	17.1
3	Venturi	FR	19	16	14	23	18	13	18	19	15	16	19	171	17.1
4	Microclim8	UK	14	14	11	15	12	13	12	15	12	13	-	131	13.1
5	M8Trix	NL	15	13	11	17	11	13	13	15	10	12	-	130	13.0
6	Australia 8	AU	12	13	11	18	11	12	12	12	10	12	-	123	12.3
7	Dubai Asaar 8	AE	11	9	7	13	4	10	9	8	11	-	-	82	9.1
8	Maximum Ride	CA	10	9	6	11	8	8	8	7	7	-	-	74	8.2

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Golden Knights at the FAI Outdoor World Championship 2014

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Although Stahler was not part of the active lineup in Dubai, the event left a lasting impression on him. He vividly recalls the tension in the crowd as he watched the judging of the final round that secured both the 4-way and 8-way gold medals for Team USA.

Among his strongest memories is the live view of the double-sword formation performed by the Golden Knights and Arizona Airspeed, celebrating a truly historic achievement. Stahler later said that the Dubai experience solidified his determination to earn a slot on Team USA and pursue his career with the U.S. Army Parachute Team.

That opportunity came sooner than expected. When Brian Krause stepped away from the Golden Knights, new team captain Sean Sweeney called Stahler into the 8-way lineup the following year. In Prostejov 2014, Stahler finally claimed his first FAI World Championship gold medal, an achievement that had been missing from the original NSL Profile. He went on to add three more 8-way gold medals in 2016, 2018, and 2024. The most recent title at Crystal Coast 2024 was earned with a mixed lineup: four “Olden Knights” (Matt Davidson, Andrew Starr, Jesse Stahler, Mike Connors) joined forces with four XP8 members (Jeana Billings, John D’Annunzio, Andrew Happick, Kirk Verner), with Chris Bess on camera.

Formation skydiving competition medal count at FAI Outdoor World Championships since 1985

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With the corrected medal count, Jesse Stahler’s fourth gold medal significantly altered his historical standing. He moved from 12th to 6th place on the all-time leaderboard for formation skydiving world championships. His team captain from 2014, 2016, and 2018, Sean Sweeney, now shares that position with him.

Both Stahler and Sweeney have won all four of their FAI gold medals exclusively in 8-way competition. Only former Golden Knights captains Scott Rhodes and Matt Davidson rank ahead of them, each with six 8-way gold medals.

That exclusivity may soon change. Stahler could join Craig Girard, Kirk Verner, and Mark Kirkby, who have each earned gold medals in both 4-way and 8-way events. The Golden Knights 4-way team is now targeting gold at the FAI Outdoor World Championship in Eloy 2026, following three highly progressive years of training and competition. They already posed a serious challenge to the French Aethers at the FAI Outdoor World Cup 2025. Under the guidance of coach Niklas Hemlin, who has won more FAI gold medals in 4-way than in 8-way, the team continues to build momentum. Niklas Hemlin captured 4-way gold with Arizona Airspeed in 2024, while Jesse Stahler won 8-way gold with GKXP8 in the same year. Now, they aim to win 4-way gold together—a first for Jesse Stahler.