The United States successfully defended their Olympic title in freestyle skiing mixed team aerials, capturing gold in Italy. Despite challenging weather conditions, the American team outperformed Switzerland and China to claim the top spot on the podium.
LIVIGNO, Italy – Team USA successfully defended their Olympic championship in freestyle skiing mixed team aerials on Saturday, claiming gold for the second consecutive Games while Switzerland earned silver and China settled for bronze.
The American squad bounced back impressively after being shut out of medal contention in both the individual women’s and men’s competitions earlier this week, where Chinese athletes Wang Xindi and Xu Mengtao, a married couple, captured those respective gold medals.
Leading the victorious U.S. effort was Kaila Kuhn, who claimed gold at the 2025 world championships in both women’s and mixed team aerials events, despite placing fifth in Wednesday’s Olympic women’s individual competition.
Joining Kuhn on the winning team were Christopher Lillis and Connor Curran, who had finished eighth and 12th respectively in Friday’s men’s individual final.
Team USA posted a winning score of 325.35 points out of a maximum possible 450. The Swiss squad, featuring men’s individual silver medalist Noe Roth, accumulated 296.91 points, while China finished with 279.68 points.
Competition at the alpine venue took place under challenging overcast skies with falling snow that reduced visibility, creating additional obstacles for the competing athletes.
China’s hopes for a third gold medal were derailed by costly errors from Wang and Li Tianma, the men’s individual bronze medalist, as both athletes failed their landings following high-difficulty aerial maneuvers.
The aerial skiing discipline showcases gravity-defying athleticism and has been featured in Winter Olympic competition since 1994 for individual events, with mixed team competition added in 2022.
Competitors launch themselves from nearly vertical ramps, soaring through the air while executing intricate acrobatic routines at speeds exceeding 65 kilometers per hour.
Scoring is based on factors including height achieved, distance traveled, artistic style, routine difficulty, and landing execution, with each jump receiving a maximum possible score of 150 points.
Mixed team competition features both male and female athletes representing each nation, with three competitors per country contributing their individual scores toward a combined team total.