Team USA was riding a steady, headline-making surge at the 2026 Winter Olympics, piling up podiums across freestyle skiing, figure skating and speedskating, but still lived in the shadow of Norway’s dominant gold tally.
That narrative flipped in a single breath Saturday when the Americans soared to victory in the mixed team aerials final and, with it, notched a milestone that rewrites this Winter Games’ storyline.
In Livigno, the trio of Kaila Kuhn, Connor Curran and Christopher Lillis combined for a near-flawless Super Final to claim gold in the freestyle mixed team aerials, posting a winning total of 325.35 points and edging Switzerland and China for the top spot.
The victory doubled as a title defense in the still-young Olympic discipline and a statement performance during a week already filled with historic moments.
From a historical standpoint, that gold also pushed the U.S. to 11 Olympic titles at the 2026 Winter Games, the most gold medals ever won by an American team at a single Winter Olympics, surpassing the previous mark set in 2002.
More news: What Hilary Knight Told Her Teammates Before USA’s Rally to Win Olympic Gold
The mixed team aerials competition, introduced only in 2022, saw the American squad execute three high-difficulty jumps with clean landings; Lillis delivered the highest-scoring lift of the night with a technically demanding back double full–full–full, Curran impressed with composed amplitude, and Kuhn’s solid finish sealed the advantage.
Switzerland’s clean execution earned silver while China, hampered by final-round errors, settled for bronze.
More news: Strange Olympic Medal Tradition Has Fans Doing a Double Take
More news: Canada’s Connor McDavid Sent Clear Message About Sidney Crosby’s Olympic Return
For a national program long judged by raw medal counts and star power, pushing the gold total to 11 recasts the United States as the defining force of these Olympics rather than just a deep, balanced contender.
And the story may not be finished. Several medal opportunities remain on the schedule, with the men’s hockey tournament and late alpine and speedskating finals still in play. If American contenders convert, this record could stretch even further before the closing ceremony on Sunday.