Season honours at stake as Lake Placid hosts Aerials World Cup finale
Jan 11, 2026·Freestyle
Lake Placid may have been where the Aerials World Cup action began last season, but it will be where the curtains come down this time around.
Aerialists will take the hills near the Adirondack mountains for their final tune-up, before the season’s most anticipated event takes place in Livigno for the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
Before that, however, there are still wins and season honours to be decided.
On the men’s standings, two-time Crystal Globe defending winner Qi Guangpu sits in fourth, but is in no way ruled out of a three-peat.
With a double header on the cards in Lake Placid, the reigning Olympic champion, who is 60 points behind leader Li Tianma (CHN), is well within reach and certainly capable of a showing to make up that gap.
For the three athletes at the top, it is a tighter contest.
Li is in the lead with 241 points, but only by a whisker. He is ahead of teammate Sun Jiaxu (CHN) by just six points, while Dmytro Kotovskyi (UKR) is a further 17 points behind.
Still, with three out of four at the top of the men’s Aerials Cup standings flying the Chinese flag, it is notable to mention China’s form and intent heading into the Olympic Winter Games.
On the women’s side, there is a similar dominance shown by the Chinese. Of the top five, three hail from China, with reigning Olympic champion Xu Mengtao (CHN) leading the way with 260 points.
But to go from a yellow bib to a blue one next season, the 35-year-old will have to stave off Winter Vinecki (USA), who has timed her charge at just the right time.
The American took a one and two finish just days ago at the Lac-Beauport leg, securing her spot on the US Olympic team.
And even as she sits in sixth place, after a late-season recovery in Lac-Beauport, Laura Peel (AUS) should not be written off. The Australian, who won the Crystal Globe last season, has shown she is capable of consistently delivering triples.
Competition on 11 January will begin with women’s qualifications at 09:00 local time, then men’s qualifications at 11:45. Finals take place from 14:00.
The following day, another round of individual competition will start at 09:00 with women’s qualifications. Men’s qualifications begin at 11:45. Finals proceed from 14:00.
WATCH LIVE
TV broadcasts will be available for fans to follow the action live, while there will also be live streaming on FIS TV.
Here are the links and information about geo-restrictions –
Sunday, 11 January
Monday, 12 January
Please note that due to broadcasting rights restrictions, live streaming availability may be limited in certain regions.
However, the livestream for the finals is accessible in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, Singapore, and South Korea. For the qualifications, the livestream is available globally, with the exception of geo-restrictions in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
QUICK LINKS
Lake Placid World Cup FIS data page (start lists, results, etc)
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