Chris Lillis doesn't medal a 2nd time in Beijing, but still has a gold from last week's event

Pittsford native Chris Lillis gave it his best, but was not able to get another medal, as he competed in the men’s freestyle aerial skiing event Wednesday in Beijing.

Qi Guangpu of China won a gold medal in that event.

Lillis advanced to the super final event Wednesday, but did not move into medal contention, after he lost some points for a landing on one of his jumps.

But he still will come back to the U.S. with that gold medal he won last week as part of the Mixed Team Aerials event.

American teammates Justin Schoenefeld and Chris Lillis finished fifth and sixth, respectively, after helping the U.S. earn gold in that mixed team event.

Dozens of people showed up early Wednesday morning in Fairport, where Lillis’s parents live, for a watch party, to cheer him on.

Chris’s father, Bernie Lillis was with family and friends at that watch party, and he said although there is some disappointment, he and the rest of the family are “super proud” of him.

“Chris just laid it all out there, he did a fantastic job competing in the Olympics; those are the best in the world,” said Lillis. “He made it all the way down to his last jump, and the trick that he performed which he actually won gold with on (last) Thursday at the team event, is the hardest trick you can do, and so you don’t land it every time and unfortunately today it didn’t happen.”

Chris Lillis grew up learning to ski at Bristol Mountain in Ontario County. Lillis would have been in the Olympics four years ago in South Korea, but a knee injury prevented that.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.