Christopher Lillis

Christopher Lillis
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
Gold medal – first place 2022 Beijing Mixed team aerials
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2025 Engadin Mixed team aerials
Gold medal – first place 2023 Bakuriani Mixed team aerials
Silver medal – second place 2021 Almaty Aerials
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Almaty Mixed team aerials

Christopher B. Lillis (born October 4, 1998) is an American freestyle skier. At the 2022 Winter Olympics, he won a gold medal in the mixed team aerials event.

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] the pair's brother, Michael, also a freestyle skier, died in 2017.[6]

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.[7] He competed in aerial skiing at the FIS Freestyle Ski World Championships 2021 in Almaty, winning the silver medal in men's aerials.[8]

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] As a competitor in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, Lillis received a mix of reactions, including social media backlash,[9] 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.[10][11][12]

Lillis attended Monroe Community College and the University of Utah.[6][7] He is also a guitarist and pianist on the side, both in New York and in Park City, Utah.[7][13][14]

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. ^ a b c "Chris Lillis" (Bio). U.S. Ski & Snowboard. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  8. ^ Zaccardi, Nick (March 11, 2021). "Chris Lillis honors 'Speedy' Peterson, joins Ashley Caldwell with aerials silver at worlds". NBC Sports. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ "Lillis wins U.S. Freestyle Aerials National Championship at Bristol". Spectrum News. March 14, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  14. ^ Alberty, Erin (February 6, 2026). "Utah Olympians to watch". Axios. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
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