ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Rochester's hometown hero, Chris Lillis, competed with Team USA in the Freestyle World Ski Championships in Bakuriani, Georgia on Sunday.

The team's combined scores earned them the gold medal in the team aerials round.

What You Need To Know

  • Team USA won gold at the Freestyle World Ski Championships in Bakuriani, Georgia on Sunday

  • All of Ashley Caldwell, Chris Lillis and Quinn Dehlinger added together earned their big win

  • Lillis also competed in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China

  • Lillis' brother who passed away was Dehlinger's former teammate 
  • Individual rounds of the championships are Tuesday night

"You get your obligatory 'yes' and fist pumps, and all kinds of fun stuff like that, and trying to guess what the score is, and it was good," said Lillis' father, Bernard.

The Freestyle World Ski Championships happen every two years, but Chris' father says it's a prestigious event that he hoped his son and the team would do well in. Chris' brother, Mason, could not have been more excited when Chris stuck his landing.

"I jumped off and I was really happy when I saw that 135 come on the screen," Mason said.

The Lillis family was watching it on television at 5:30 a.m., nine hours ahead of the competition overseas. Chris' mother Jamie says they were all waking up periodically throughout the night, worried that they'd miss the big performance.

"I am always nervous," said Jamie. "I want him to do well and that's always my gut feeling. I just want him to do well."

There were extra nerves this time around because Chris had told his family it was extra windy. Regardless of the weather and their win, this team competition was extra special for the Lillis family, because one of the other members of Team USA was a former roommate of Chris' brother who unexpectedly passed away a few years ago.

"It is a special bond to see this young man coming up well, and now he'll be a part of the team that won gold," Bernard Lillis said about Chris' teammate, Quinn Dehlinger.

"We're always rooting for all of the athletes and everything to go off without a hitch and everything, but now you're rooting for each individual athlete as well," said Jamie Lillis.

The parents agree that they're a proud Team USA family.

"No matter what they do, you're always proud of them, whether they're going on to the Olympics, or doing well in school, or off to whatever. I think it's great to watch your children achieve their dreams," Bernard said, mentioning Chris' next steps. "He'll keep training and going for now the 2026 Olympics, and then we'll see from there what he wants to do, but he has aspirations beyond that, but we won't give away any secrets."

As for the next round of the competition, Lillis has a day off on Monday, then Team USA is on to compete individually. Each member is hoping to place in the top six on Tuesday, but will have another opportunity to compete on Wednesday.