Americans bring A-game to be crowned Aerials Team world champions again
Mar 27, 2025·Freestyle)
Faced with a deep Chinese squad and an Australian side that has been stellar all season, the United States knew nothing short of their best will suffice if they wanted to keep their team title at the 2025 FIS Freestyle, Snowboard and Freeski World Championships.
The Americans brought their A-game and more, as they were crowned Aerials Team world champions on St. Moritz’s hills.
Their overall performance of 344.63 points was a result of outstanding performances from a trio that produced clutch jumps when the pressure was great and stakes were highest.
Kaila Kuhn, in particular, kept her nerves at bay as she landed a back lay-full-full for the first time, scoring 100.29 in the superfinal to hand the US team an early lead.
“This is my first team event,” she said. “I was so happy to put that triple to my feet. That was the first one that I’ve landed.”
That score was backed up later by two teammates who were part of the squad that won the world title in Bakuriani in 2023.
Quinn Dehlinger’s back double full-full-full landed clean to score 119 points. Christopher Lillis, the most experienced skier of the three, then secured the title with the same trick, scoring 125.34 points.
Said Dehlinger: “I was just at the top, sitting and talking to myself, just saying, take off, hit the ground, land it, and let the judges do the rest.”
Added Lillis: “Kaila - I’ve watched her grow up and go through triples. Quinn is like a little brother to me.
By the time Lillis’ skis touched the St. Moritz snow, the Americans knew they were world champions again, as they staged a baseball celebration to show how they had knocked it out of the park.
Said Lillis: “The idea was born in Lake Placid, it was where we underperformed as a team. We weren’t able to use that celebration, so that was in the tank. We’ll have something new for you next time.”
Ukraine took second spot with a total score of 312.35 points, boosted by Dmytro Kotovskyi’s massive score of 133.12 when he landed a back full-triple full-full, the only quintuple jump of the day, and also the highest-scoring. Anhelina Brykina and Oleksandr Okipniuk made up the other two members of the squad.
Host country Switzerland, which fielded Lina Kozomara, Noe Roth and Pirmin Werner, rounded out the podium with 281.43 points.
The biggest shock of the day came when China failed to make the cut for the superfinal.
Reigning Olympic champion Xu Mengtao uncharacteristically bundled her jump for a score of 59.61 points.
Wang Xindi had a similarly disappointing showing, scoring 94.69 points. 2025 Crystal Globe winner Qi Guangpu delivered a high-scoring 119.03-point jump, but it was still insufficient to help the Chinese make the top four in the first round.
The skiers will have a day’s rest before individual competition begins with qualifications on Saturday, 29 March.
QUICK LINKS
Engadin 2025 FIS data page (start lists, results, etc)
Results: Team
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