US successfully defends mixed team aerials gold medal

LIVIGNO, Italy -- The United States won gold in the Olympics freestyle skiing mixed team final on Saturday, retaining their 2022 title, while Switzerland captured the silver and favorites China were left with the bronze.

The Americans stormed to victory after failing to reach the podium in this week's women's and men's finals, where China took the golds through husband-and-wife combo Wang Xindi and Xu Mengtao.

The winning U.S. team included Kaila Kuhn, gold medalist at the 2025 world championships in women's and mixed team aerials, who finished fifth in Wednesday's women's final at the Milan Cortina Games.

Her teammates were Christopher Lillis and Connor Curran, who were eighth and 12th, respectively, in the men's final on Friday.

"All of us came in so motivated after that individual event because it didn't really go any of our ways. And so we came in today motivated, strong as ever," Kuhn said.

The winning trio spoke to reporters with American flags draped around their shoulders, and gold medals hanging from their necks.

"It's hard to put into words how much it means to represent the USA and get a gold medal with your friends and family. And yeah, it means the world, and I'm honored," Curran said.

In mixed teams, male and female athletes compete together, with each country fielding three contestants. Their individual scores are added up for an overall total.

The Americans scored 325.35 out of a possible total of 450. The Swiss team, including men's silver medalist Noe Roth, earned 296.91 points, while China posted 279.68.

The contest in the resort of Livigno took place in overcast and snowy conditions that affected visibility in an added challenge for athletes.

The Chinese medal bid was spoiled by final-round mistakes from Wang and Li Tianma, the bronze medalist in the men's, who both crashed on landing after high-difficulty jumps.

"This is a good lesson for me. It proves that there is something to improve. ... In the future training I must keep improving myself," Li said.

--Reuters, special to Field Level Media