posted Sep 17th, 2026 - The entire formation skydiving competition world knows by now that Arizona Airspeed successfully defended its nine-point lead from Round 1 throughout the remainder of the 4-way Open Class competition at the USPA Nationals 2026. Three of those nine points remained after Round 10 (254–251), which was enough to claim the USPA gold medals.

It has now become one of the very rare occasions when the national 4-way Open team will not compete for the country at the outdoor world championship in the same year. The Golden Knights, however, won five of the last six rounds, allowing Airspeed to tie their score only once more, in Round 7.

The team and coach Niklas Hemlin have every reason to leave the devastating Round 1 behind and build the motivation and energy they will need to succeed in the upcoming battle with NMP PCH HayaBusa and Aethers Lille at the FAI Outdoor World Championship 2026. The momentum from posting the six consecutive highest scores between Rounds 5 and 10 will be part of that buildup, as will the fact that the worst experience a competitive team can face is most likely already out of the way. The chances of a similar situation, with a Super Sequence occurring in Round 1, are very small in the near future. And if it does happen again, the Golden Knights will at least be more familiar with how to handle the experience.

USPA Nationals 2026		1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open	A,9,B,D		5,C,L,15		F,7,8		E,H,13,N		16,P,M,20		Q,G,11,21		4,12,17		22,O,2		19,6,J		18,1,K		Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	47		25	-2	26		31	-1	26	-1	18		20	-1	20		23		18	-2	254	25.4
2	Golden Knights	38	-4	27	-1	25		30	-2	27	-1	19	-4	20		21		25	-1	19	-2	251	25.1
3	SDC Rhythm XP	31	-4	19	-3	20	-2	24	-3	21		17	-3	16	-1	19		20	-1	17	-1	204	20.4
4	Elsinore Elevate	35		19		21		22	-2	18		17	-1	15		16		16	-2	15	-1	194	19.4
5	Hammertime 2.0	27	-1	19		19		21	-2	19		16	-2	13	-1	16		17		14	-3	181	18.1
6	Four Warned XP	26	-4	15	-1	20	-1	21	-2	18	-1	16	-1	12	-3	16		18		13	-2	175	17.5
7	Ranch TNT SDAZ	28	-2	16	-1	19		21		17		13	-2	12		15		15	-1	14		170	17.0
8	Redline XP	24	-1	16		17		17		17		15	-1	11	-2	11	-1	16	-1	13		157	15.7
9	SDC Rhedux	24	-1	14		16	-2	16	-3	15	-1	14	-2	10		14		15	-1	13		151	15.1
10	Girls Will Be Girls	24	-1	13		15	-3	17	-1	14		14	-1	13		14		13	-2	13		150	15.0
11	Adorable AF	20	-2	14		15	-1	19		11		13		11		11	-2	14		10	-3	138	13.8
12	Chicken Bolts	16	-5	13	-2	15	-2	12	-4	12		13	-2	13	-1	12		10	-5	13	-1	129	12.9
13	Mercenaries	21		12		13	-2	17		12	-1	14		9	-1	11		9	-4	10	-1	128	12.8
14	Air Raid XP	21		10	-1	15	-2	10	-8	13	-1	14		7	-4	11		13	-1	10	-3	124	12.4
15	AeroGiRhls	12		8	-1	11	-1	14		9		8	-1	7		10		8		8	-1	95	9.5
16	Perris 3 D & Dan	13		9	-1	11	-1	5	-3	8		8		8	-1	8	-1	8	-1	8		86	8.6

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Arizona Airspeed - Golden Knights at the USPA Nationals 2026

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The same situation naturally looks very different from the perspective of Arizona Airspeed. Even the team itself probably did not expect to win the national outdoor championship this year. The current lineup surely has its sights set on winning the next outdoor world championship in 2028, which requires winning the USPA Nationals next year. Airspeed are already looking ahead, while the Golden Knights have only one year to replace team captain Jesse Stahler with current team videographer Skyler Romberg.

However, Airspeed are now also providing the best example for the Golden Knights of how to integrate a new team member quickly and successfully. Michelle Karamon spent less than a year with the current Airspeed lineup before winning her first 4-way Open Class gold medal. The Golden Knights will have a full year to bring Skyler Romberg up to their top level, and he will surely receive all the help and support he needs. In fact, he has already been training in front of the camera whenever time has allowed.

No other U.S. 4-way team appears to be close enough to challenge the two leading teams, and this year's rankings mirror those from a year ago. Only Arizona Airspeed and the Golden Knights have switched positions, while SDC Rhythm XP claimed the bronze medals ahead of Elsinore Elevate despite a very slow start. The 8-way competition is now in full swing and will be completed today, before the formation skydiving competitors begin recruiting their 16-way lineups and then continue with 10-way, with Round 10 scheduled to feature exits from the DC-9 jet aircraft.

USPA Nationals 2025			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		O,4,5		21,12,22		6,J,H,G		N,2,20		L,13,A,F		7,19,M		1,14,18		9,10,15		17,E,8		C,3,P,K		Total	Avg
G	Aethers Lille	FR	23	-1	19		33		23		34		26		18		21		23	-1	30	-1	250	25.0
1	Golden Knights	US	21	-3	19		29		22		36		26		19		19	-2	26		28		245	24.5
2	Arizona Airspeed	US	24		17		27		19		29		23		15		17		22		23	-1	216	21.6
3	SDC Rhythm XP	US	19		14	-1	27		19		26	-1	22		15		16		19		19	-5	196	19.6
4	Elsinore Elevate	US	17	-1	14		23		17		26		21		15		16		19		21		189	18.9
5	Inertia AZ	US	16	-1	14	-1	24		16	-1	25		20		14		16		12	-5	20		177	17.7
6	The OGs	US	17		9	-3	21	-1	15	-1	21	-2	18		13		12	-2	16	-1	18	-2	160	16.0
7	Redline XP	US	14	-1	10	-1	18		14		22		13	-3	12		12		17		15	-1	147	14.7
8	Ranch TNT	US	13	-3	11		21		13		18		16	-1	11		12		14		12	-2	141	14.1
8	Double Trouble	US	14		11		18		12	-1	18		15		12		12		13	-1	16		141	14.1
10	Rhetirement Rhedux	US	10	-2	7	-3	16		11	-1	17		14	-1	9	-1	8	-2	10	-1	14		118	11.8
11	XP Angels	US	11	-1	9	-1	15	-2	11	-2	16	-1	13		10		7	-2	13	-1	12		117	11.7

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Golden Knights - Arizona Airspeed at the USPA Nationals 2025

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