U.S. on Top in Mixed Aerials Team Event

Today in the mixed aerials team event in Changchun, China, Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team aerials athletes Winter Vinecki, Chris Lillis and Quinn Dehlinger put on an aerials masterclass to land atop the podium. 

The athletes have been battling extreme cold and heavy winds in China the entire week, and today was no exception. Despite the conditions, Vinecki, Lillis and Dehlinger put down near-perfect runs to win the mixed aerials team competition by more than 30 points over the second-place finishers. There was additional focus on Winter Vinecki today, as she is working to improve her triples on snow and it has never been more clear that her hard work is paying off. She appeared cool, calm and collected as she put down a clean back-lay-full-full to help the team secure their victory. 

The U.S. also had two other teams jumping in today’s competition: USA 2, made up of Kaila Kuhn, Connor Curran and Justin Schoenefeld, who finished in fourth, and USA 3 of Karenna Elliott, Tasia Tanner and Derek Krueger who came in sixth. While the U.S. is known for mixed team aerials, having won gold medals in both the 2022 Olympic Winter Games and the 2023 World Championships, for many of these athletes, this was the first aerials team competition they had ever started. It was a great experience and training for them to prepare for upcoming events, and look for USA to keep dominating. 

The team is now moving into a holiday break back in the United States for training in preparation for their domestic World Cup at Deer Valley Feb. 1-3.

RESULTS
Mixed Aerials Team