(AP & WXXI News) The Americans have won gold in the Olympics' first mixed team aerials event, giving the U.S. its first medals in the freestyle skiing discipline in a dozen years.
The trio of Ashley Caldwell, Christopher Lillis — a Pittsford native who did his early training at Bristol Mountain in Ontario County — and Justin Schoenefeld each earned their first Winter Games medals.
The 23-year-old Lillis' back double full-full-double full was given the highest score of any trick in the finals, and the U.S. title was assured when Schoenefeld followed with a clean back double full-full-full.
"This has been a three-year process for us, for me getting ready for this Olympic Games and being able to throw those quintuple twisting triples," Lillis said. "I was just happy to get the opportunity to throw one and to put it down."
Lillis would have been in the Olympics four years ago in South Korea, but a knee injury prevented that.
His father, Bernie Lillis, was at a watch party early Thursday morning in Fairport with family and friends, including those who mentored Chris during the early part of his ski training at Bristol Mountain.
Lillis told WXXI News that he was very impressed by the aerial moves made by his son.
“I’ll tell you what, it was amazing, I didn’t realize he was going to do five twists, and I guess he really wanted the gold," said Bernie Lillis. "I looked actually over at his old coach, I’m like, ‘was that five?’ He said, ’yeah,’ I’m like, 'Oh my God, that was insane.'"
Of his son's performance, Lillis said, "It was pretty cool, it was just amazing, couldn’t be prouder."
Chris Lillis is not done at Beijing yet. Next week, he competes in the men's aerials.
DREAM TEAM taking home GOLD in the first Olympic Mixed Teams Aerials! 🥇🥇🥇 Congrats @AshleySkis, @j_schoenefeld, and Chris Lillis! #beijing2022 pic.twitter.com/MQRWg3f1AK
— U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team (@usskiteam) February 10, 2022
The 28-year-old Caldwell, a 2017 world champion, is in her fourth Olympics but has never finished higher than 10th. She and the 23-year-old Schoenefeld have been dating for about three years.
Two-time medalist Jia Zongyang cost China a chance at gold when he flipped forward on his landing, and the host country settled for silver. Canada won bronze.
Chris Lillis puts @TeamUSA in 1st! 🇺🇸 @j_schoenefeld coming up soon! pic.twitter.com/SCIlN7qOqX
— U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team (@usskiteam) February 10, 2022
The U.S. hadn't medaled in aerials since 2010, when Jeret Peterson won silver in the men's event. The last Americans to win gold were Eric Bergoust and Nikki Stone in 1998.
The mixed team event made its debut at these Games. Each country gets three jumpers and can't use more than two per gender. All six countries in the finals went with two men and one woman.
