Aerial Competition Kicks Off Intermountain Healthcare Freestyle International
Members of the U.S. Freestyle Aerial Ski Team gave it their all in the Intermountain Healthcare Freestyle International at Deer Valley Resort in hopes of earning one last strong result before heading to the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. U.S. athletes Kaila Kuhn, Winter Vinecki, and Chris Lillis all qualified for finals but were unable to stick the landing on each of their respective tricks to qualify for the podium round.
The competition was fierce, as athletes looked to take advantage of a challenging event that acts as perfect training for a performance on the world’s biggest stage. The women’s podium saw three different nations take the stand, including Australia's Laura Peel who threw a Full Full Full to take first, followed by China's Fanyu Kong in second and Belarus' Hanna Huskova in third. China dominated the men’s podium with Xindi Wang in first, Longxiao Yang in second, and Jiaxu Sun in third.
Despite finishing in 11th overall, Vinecki, who has already achieved the criteria necessary for nomination to Team USA, is happy to be healthy and is hungry for more training as her focus switches wholly to Beijing 2022.
“We got some really good training here in Deer Valley and that's just what I needed before we head over to Beijing,” commented Vinecki. “Obviously would have loved to get on the podium but I'm healthy and happy we get to train one more week [in Park City] before we head over. This event is always tough as expected, we always know it's going to be great. Getting some good double-ins in training and getting really consistent with those is really important here and I'm just going to keep doing that at the UOP.”
Kuhn, who finished 10th, has achieved criteria for nomination from her third-place finish at 2021 Intermountain Healthcare Freestyle International, which served as an Olympic tryout event for these athletes. She will continue to train a new trick that she had hoped to perform if she qualified for the super final as she prepares for the Games. Megan Nick has also achieved criteria to be nominated to the team.
Lillis had already achieved criteria to represent the U.S. men, alongside teammate Justin Schoenefeld. Given his strong position headed into Deer Valley, an 11th place finish was disappointing, but not devastating. The sole representative of the United States in the men’s final went for a double-Full Full Full and held off on the quint twist that he has been sticking in training.
“I thought that I put a really good jump together, had a good take-off, and it was right there,” reflected Lillis. “Unfortunately every once and a while you get caught up in the snow, you go over the back, you go over the top, and that's what happened to me today. We had a really solid week of training, I was able to get up a degree of difficulty, do some big tricks, do another quint twist this week. From that final jump, there's not too much I'm going to take away from it but a solid week of training and looking forward.”
Nick, Karenna Elliott, Ashley Caldwell and Dani Loeb did not qualify for women’s finals.
Derek Krueger, Eric Loughran, Justin Schoenefeld, Connor Curran, Quinn Dehlinger, Ian Schoenwald did not qualify for men’s finals.
Competitions continue at the Intermountain Healthcare Freestyle International on Thursday, Jan. 13, with the first of two mogul World Cups at Deer Valley Resort, the final Olympic tryout events for those athletes.
RESULTS
Men's Results
Women's Results
HOW TO WATCH
*All times EST.
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Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022
4:00 p.m. Intermountain Healthcare Freestyle International Men and Women's Moguls - LIVE, Deer Valley, UT, Streaming Peacock
Friday, Jan. 14, 2022
2:15 p.m. FIS Freeski World Cup Ski Cross - LIVE, Nakiska, CAN, Streaming Ski and Snowboard Live, Streaming Peacock
4:00 p.m. Intermountain Healthcare Freestyle International Men and Women's Moguls - LIVE, Deer Valley, UT, Streaming Peacock
Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022
12:30 p.m. Intermountain Healthcare Freestyle International Men and Women's Moguls - next-day broadcast, Deer Valley, UT, Broadcast CNBC
2:00 p.m. Intermountain Healthcare Freestyle International Men and Women's Aerials - delayed broadcast, Deer Valley, UT, Broadcast CNBC
2:15 p.m. FIS Freeski World Cup Ski Cross - LIVE, Nakiska, CAN, Streaming Ski and Snowboard Live, Streaming Peacock
Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022
4:30 a.m. FIS Freestyle Skiing World Cup, Slopestyle – LIVE, Fort Romeu, FRA, Streaming Peacock, Ski and Snowboard Live
12:00 p.m. FIS Freestyle Skiing World Cup, Freeski & Snowboard Halfpipe – delayed broadcast, Mammoth, USA, Broadcast NBC
1:30 p.m. Intermountain Healthcare Freestyle International Men and Women's Moguls - delayed broadcast, Deer Valley, UT, Broadcast NBC
Sport-specific broadcast and streaming schedules are available below:
Broadcast and streaming schedules are updated on a daily basis throughout the season.
