All eyes on Aerials at the 2025 World Championships in St. Moritz

Mar 26, 2025·Freestyle

After a thrilling start to the freestyle program with successful moguls and dual moguls competitions last week, the spotlight at the 2025 FIS Freestyle Ski World Championships in St. Moritz now turns to the sky—Aerials are up next.

The high-flying discipline is set to deliver plenty of action, with both individual and team events on deck, and a strong field of contenders looking to make their mark on the snow-packed stage.

In the men’s Aerials, Switzerland’s Noé Roth enters under the weight of expectation but also with a renewed sense of momentum. The 24-year-old has made the short trip from Livigno full of confidence, after ending the World Cup season with his first victory in over two years. He also finished level on points atop the overall standings—only edged into second place by Qi Guangpu (CHN) based on win count.

The Chinese legend, a two-time world champion (2013, 2015) and 2017 silver medallist, remains a top contender and will be eyeing a return to the top of the podium.

Roth won’t be alone in the battle for gold. The USA’s Christopher Lillis and Quinn Dehlinger are both capable of putting down massive jumps, while Canada’s Lewis Irving, a veteran of the sport, brings years of experience and technical precision. Ukraine’s Dmytro Kotovskyi is another name to watch—capable of unleashing his high-risk, high-reward Full-triple Full-Full, better known as The Hurricane, to shake up the standings when it matters most. And of course, China’s deep squad—featuring Wang Xindi, Sun Jiaxu, and Li Tianma—adds serious firepower to the field.

The women’s Aerials competition is shaping up to be a wide-open battle. Laura Peel (AUS), fresh off her Crystal Globe-winning season, comes in as a favorite, but she faces stiff competition from some very familiar names.

Veteran Xu Mengtao (CHN), the 2013 world champion and 2022 Olympic gold medallist, is always a threat—especially at major championships. She’s a proven performer under pressure and has stood on every World Championship podium from 2009 to 2019.

Also in contention are Danielle Scott (AUS) and Chen Meiting (CHN), both of whom have shown strong form. Adding even more excitement to the field, Canada’s Marion Thénault and USA’s Kaila Kuhn will also be pushing hard—bringing high-difficulty triples to the table and looking to land them when it matters most.

In the Aerials Mixed Team event, the USA will look to defend their 2023 title. But China, after finishing second two years ago, will be coming in with determination—and enviable depth. Meanwhile, Canada, reigning Olympic champions, bring a proven squad that knows how to deliver on the big stage.

The Aerials Mixed Team event will take place on 27 March, starting at 11:00. The Individual Aerials begin on 29 March, with women’s qualifications starting at 10:45, followed by the men’s qualifications at 14:15. Both finals will take place on 30 March, beginning at 14:00.

Watch Live
TV broadcasts will be available for fans to follow the action live, while there will also be live streaming on FIS TV.

Thursday, 27 March