The 2025/26 FIS Freestyle World Cup season preview - Part 2: Aerials

With the calendar and Olympic-year storyline set in Part 1 of our preview, it’s time to turn to the athletes who are expected to shape the 2025/26 Aerials World Cup season. The tour begins next week, and as always in an Olympic year, the field is deeper, hungrier, and more ambitious than ever. Established champions are pushing for career-defining results, while the next generation continues to raise the technical ceiling across both the men’s and women’s fields. What follows is a look at some of the leading names, major storylines, and emerging forces that will define the season ahead.

Athletes to watch: Women

The women’s Aerials tour enters this Olympic winter with an extraordinary level of depth and experience. Australia continues to be one of the defining forces thanks to athletes like Laura Peel and Danielle Scott, both bringing unmatched technical quality and stability to the top of the standings. Peel, coming off another dominant season and now a three-time Crystal Globe winner, has long been one of the drivers of progression in the sport with her willingness to push for high-difficulty triples. Scott, meanwhile, has been one of the most consistent performers on the circuit in recent years, and an Olympic podium remains firmly in reach for both of them.

China’s presence remains central to the storyline as well, especially with Xu Mengtao entering what will be her fifth Olympic Winter Games. With an Olympic gold, seven World Championships medals, and the most World Cup victories in women’s Aerials, she continues to anchor a Chinese team that mixes experience with new energy. Her longevity and influence on the sport speak for themselves.

The United States team brings a mix of established firepower and strong upward momentum. Kaila Kuhn had a phenomenal breakthrough last season, winning two World Championships titles and proving she can perform when the stakes are highest. Winter Vinecki, one of the most dynamic triple-throwers in the field, is returning from injury and eager to rejoin the fight near the top. The big comeback story, however, belongs to Ashley Caldwell. Now heading into her fifth Olympic season, Caldwell has not competed since 2023 but remains one of the most technically gifted aerialists ever—still the only woman to have landed the legendary Full Double Full Full in competition.

Canada also continues to strengthen its presence in women’s Aerials, with Marion Thénault standing out as one of the most exciting younger athletes capable of high-quality triples. Meanwhile, new waves of talent are emerging across the field—with China’s Chen Meiting, Ukraine’s Angelina Brykina, and athletes like Abbey Willcox and Emma Weiss all capable of shaking up results as the season unfolds.

Overall, the women’s field may be as stacked as it has ever been. With the Olympic Games approaching, difficulty levels will rise, consistency will be tested, and the margins will be razor-thin—setting the stage for an intensely competitive winter.

Athletes to watch: Men

On the men’s side, the story begins—as it often does—with the incredible depth of the Chinese team. Simply making China’s Olympic roster is an achievement in itself, and once again, names like Qi Guangpu, Wang Xindi, Sun Jiaxu, Li Xipeng, and Li Tianma form one of the strongest lineups in the sport. Qi, the reigning Olympic champion and winner of the past two overall World Cups, remains a reference point for clean technique and big-moment consistency. China’s combination of experience and high difficulty will once again make them one of the dominant forces throughout the season.

But the biggest challenger to China’s grip on the top spots comes from Switzerland. Noé Roth enters the season as a back-to-back World Champion and the owner of the highest score ever recorded in Aerials. His teammate Pirin Werner, equally capable of throwing five-twist triples and one of only two active athletes to land a Hurricane in competition, forms with Roth one of the most explosive duos on tour. Whenever Switzerland is on the start list, they are capable of disrupting any podium.

The United States also remains a major presence thanks to the duo of Quinn Dehlinger and Christopher Lillis, both central to the U.S. dominance in the Mixed Team event—undefeated at both the World Championships and Olympic Games. With a strong women’s squad behind them and their own technical repertoire continuing to grow, the U.S. again looks like a team built for podiums in all formats.

Canada brings both experience and potential breakthrough stories, led by Lewis Irving. Behind him stand a promising new generation, including Alexandre Duchaine and Miha Fontaine, both capable of making decisive steps forward this season.

Ukraine continues to be one of the most intriguing teams in men’s Aerials. Dmytro Kotovskyi, with one of the most unique trick repertoires on tour, remains a constant threat—especially with his ability to perform high-difficulty Hurricanes. After finishing runner-up in the 2023 World Cup and navigating some setbacks since, he remains a name to watch closely. His teammates Maksym Kuznietsov and Volodymyr Kushin add depth to a squad that keeps progressing year after year.

Across both men’s and women’s competitions, the 2025/26 Aerials season is defined by a rare blend of experience, star power, and rapidly rising talent. With the Olympic Winter Games just weeks away once the season begins, every result will matter—qualification points, momentum, and confidence will all be at stake. The difficulty will go up, risk levels will rise, and the pressure will shape some of the best performances we see all year.

The stage is set. The world’s best aerialists are ready. And with the season opening next week, it won’t take long for the battles to begin.