USA retain Mixed Team Aerials gold to show they are a major force

China have the strength and depth, but the USA cemented their position as the Mixed Team Aerials powerhouses by retaining Olympic gold on Saturday.

Fittingly, Christopher Lillis (USA), the common denominator in all of the USA’s recent major triumphs, landed the final jump at Livigno Aerials & Moguls Park to secure victory with a combined total of 325.35.

He stomped a back double full-full-full for 117.19 points, backing up reigning Women’s Aerials world champion Kaila Kuhn (94.44) and Connor Curran (113.72).

Noe Roth (SUI), who took Men’s Aerials silver yesterday, led Switzerland to silver (296.91), landing a back double full-double full-full for the highest score in the super final (129.54). Teammate Pirmin Werner (SUI) played a huge role in their podium finish, executing a back double full-full-double full for the second highest score of the super final (123.00) to make up for Lina Kozomara’s fall in Switzerland’s opening run (44.37).

China (279.68 ) settled for bronze after Wang Xindi (CHN) and Li Tianma (CHN) both fell attempting the back double full-double full-full.

China entered the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games seeking Mixed Team Aerials redemption, after finishing second to Lillis’ USA team at Beijing 2022. They were the only team fully comprised of Milano Cortina 2026 medalists — Wang and Li took Men’s Aerials gold and bronze respectively yesterday while Wang’s wife Xu Mengtao became the first aerialist to win back-to-back Olympic golds on Wednesday. But China were denied a sweep of the three Aerials golds on offer.

Australia (256.04), the only team to field two women — newly minted Women’s Aerials silver medalist Danielle Scott and Abbey Willcox — finished last in the four-team super final. They were third (289.04) in Final 1, proving that girl power, strategy, and execution make a potent combination.

USA topped Final 1 with 351.23 points, with China qualifying second on 315.02 points.

Lillis knows what it takes to deliver at major championships. The 27-year-old and Kuhn were two-thirds of the team that took 2025 World Championships Mixed Team Aerials gold. Lillis also won 2025 World Championships Mixed Team Aerials gold with two other teammates.

There was a silver lining for Xu as she joins Eileen Gu (CHN) and Mikael Kingsbury (CAN) as the only freestyle skiers on five Olympic medals, with two golds, two silvers and a bronze. Gu, who is competing in the Halfpipe final tonight, and Kingsbury have two golds and three silvers.

Following a season shaped by FIS World Cup competition, today provides a fitting and high-profile finale to the Freestyle Skiing Aerials campaign.

More information to come....