Team USA Scores An Upset Win To Claim First Mixed Team Aerials Gold Medal

Ashley Caldwell of Team United States performs a trick the Freestyle Skiing Mixed Team Aerials at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 on Feb. 10, 2022 in Zhangjiakou, China.

In mixed team aerials, each team features three jumpers with at least one man and woman. Each skier performs two jumps, and their scores are added up to determine the winner.

The U.S. finished behind China after the first run, and the skiers had to wait anxiously at the bottom of the hill for China to receive its final score after a strong jump from Qi Guangpu. When it came, the U.S. celebration at Genting Snow Park northwest of Beijing began. The Americans scored a total of 338.34 to beat China with 324.22 and Canada, which won bronze with a total score of 290.98. 

Lillis, who had the lowest score of the three in the first run, notched the highest score of the second with a highly difficult back double full full double full jump, and it earned him a score of 135.00. The 23-year-old from Pittsford, New York, is making his Olympic debut this year after winning silver in the individual event at the 2021 world championships. 

This is the fourth Olympics for 28-year-old Caldwell, the 2017 world champion from Ashburn, Virginia, and her first medal. Schoenefeld, 23, from Lawrenceburg, Indiana, got the first world cup win in aerials by a U.S. man in four years back in 2020, and this is also his Olympic debut. Caldwell and Schoenefeld are dating.

“I couldn’t be more excited,” Caldwell said. “This is my fourth Games, and I’ve been in the hunt for a gold medal my entire career. To do it with these guys is incredible. Chris has been like a brother to me forever, and Justin is the love of my life, so that really helps.”