Christopher Lillis

Christopher Lillis
Lillis in 2026
Personal information
Born (1998-10-04) October 4, 1998
Rochester, New York, U.S.
Height5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight135 lb (61 kg)
Sport
Country United States
SportFreestyle skiing
Event
Aerials
Medal record
Men's freestyle skiing
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
2022 Beijing Mixed team aerials
2026 Milano Cortina Mixed team aerials
World Championships
2025 Engadin Mixed team aerials
2023 Bakuriani Mixed team aerials
2021 Almaty Aerials
2021 Almaty Mixed team aerials

Christopher B. Lillis (born October 4, 1998) is an American freestyle skier. He is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, winning the mixed team aerials event at both the 2022 Winter Olympics and 2026 Winter Olympics.

Early life

Lillis was born on October 4, 1998, in Rochester, New York, United States.[1] His hometown is the suburb of Pittsford, New York.[2] According to his member profile with U.S. Ski & Snowboard, Chris Lillis began skiing at Bristol Mountain when he was three years old, and joined the Bristol Mountain Freestyle Team at six years old. He is 5 ft 9 in tall and weighs 135 lb.[3][4] His older brother Jonathon Lillis competed at the 2018 Winter Olympics.[5] His younger brother Michael, an up-and-coming aerial skier, tragically died in 2017. Just one week after Mikey's funeral, Chris and his older brother Jon returned to competition in Finland, determined to honor their brother's memory by continuing to pursue their Olympic dreams.[6][7]

Career

He is the youngest man ever to win a FIS Aerials World Cup race, at 17 years old. He came in first at the 2016 cup in Minsk, Belarus. He also came in first at Almaty, Kazakhstan, in 2020.[8] He competed in aerial skiing at the FIS Freestyle Ski World Championships 2021 in Almaty, winning the silver medal in men's aerials.[9]

Lillis competed in the men's aerials and mixed team aerials events at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, placing sixth in the men's aerials event and winning a gold medal, alongside Ashley Caldwell and Justin Schoenefeld, in mixed team aerials.[1] In January 2026, Lillis was named to the U.S. Olympic team for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina, Italy, competing in aerials alongside teammates from his Bristol Mountain training program.[10] During the Games, Lillis received a mix of reactions, including social media backlash,[11] for remarks he made tied to his "mixed emotions" about representing Team USA during the political climate of the second Trump administration, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity.[12][13][14] Although none of his gold-medal winning teammates returned for 2026, Lillis repeated as gold medalist in the mixed team aerials after finishing 8th in the men's aerials.[15]

Lillis attended Monroe Community College and the University of Utah.[6][8] He is also a guitarist and pianist on the side, both in New York and in Park City, Utah.[8][16][17]

References

  1. ^ a b "Chris Lillis" (Profile). Olympedia. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  2. ^ "Chris Lillis, Olympic gold medalist, aerial freestyle skier". Democrat and Chronicle. February 6, 2026. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  3. ^ "Chris Lillis". my.usskiandsnowboard.org. U.S. Ski & Snowboard. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  4. ^ Kowalski, Thomas (January 1, 2026). "Three Olympic hopeful skiers train at Bristol Mountain ahead of Winter Games". WHEC.com. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  5. ^ Maiorana, Sal (February 18, 2018). "Jon Lillis' dream of an Olympic medal comes to an end in South Korea". Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Chris Lillis". Team USA. United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  7. ^ "Report: 17-year-old USA skier from East Rochester dies". WXXI News. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
  8. ^ a b c "Chris Lillis" (Bio). U.S. Ski & Snowboard. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  9. ^ Zaccardi, Nick (March 11, 2021). "Chris Lillis honors 'Speedy' Peterson, joins Ashley Caldwell with aerials silver at worlds". NBC Sports. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  10. ^ "Pittsford's Chris Lillis on Olympics prep, young skiers, and his future". WXXI News. January 2, 2026. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
  11. ^ Dedaj, Paulina (February 7, 2026). "Team USA freestyle skiers spark Olympic outrage over remarks about representing US: 'Anti-American rhetoric'". Fox News. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  12. ^ Bowenbank, Starr (February 8, 2026). "Skiers Hunter Hess and Chris Lillis Feel "Mixed Emotions" Representing Team USA Amid ICE Raids". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  13. ^ DeSantis, Rachel (February 7, 2026). "American Freestyle Skiers Admit They Have 'Mixed Emotions' About Representing U.S. at Olympics amid ICE Raids". People. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  14. ^ Ott, Haley (February 8, 2026). "As Winter Olympics begin in Italy, some Team USA athletes speak out about politics at home". CBS News. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  15. ^ "2026 Olympic Winter Games Competition Schedule Version - Freestyle Skiing". Retrieved February 3, 2026.
  16. ^ "Lillis wins U.S. Freestyle Aerials National Championship at Bristol". Spectrum News. March 14, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  17. ^ Alberty, Erin (February 6, 2026). "Utah Olympians to watch". Axios. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
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