Ski World Cup Day 2: Ukraine wins mens Aerials

FIS Freestyle Aerials Podium at the Deer Valley World Cup. Photo: Mateusz Kielpinski // FIS Freestyle

PARK CITY, Utah — For the 25th year, Intermountain Health held its Freestyle International Ski World Cup at Deer Valley Resort, an International Ski Federation (FIS) event. 

Day two was the Aerials competition, under the lights on White Owl run, in which Kaila Kuhn represented the American women to their highest placement of fourth. 

Results:

1. Dannielle Scott AUS
2. Marion Thenault CAN
3. Fanyu Kong CHN

Kuhn, a twenty-year-old Olympian from Michigan, is on the Park City Ski and Snowboard Team (PCSS). She jumped to a score of 87.06 with her degree of difficulty 3.525 back double Full Full, and was the only female athlete to make it into the top six final round.

Other Women’s Aerials USA finishers:

• 7. Winter Vinecki
• 12. Megan Smallhouse
• 15. Ashley Caldwell
• 20. Dani Loeb

When the men took to the skies to perform their high-flying flips and twists, which they practice in the pool in the summer at the Utah Olympic Park (UOP), the top aerialist from the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team was twenty-year-old Derek Krueger. From Ohio, this is the University of Utah student’s first year on the team. 

Men’s Aerials Results:

1. Dmytro Kotovskyi UKR
2. Tianma Li CHN
3. Shuo Chen CHN

American men shut out of the final round, Krueger received a 93.36 score in the semis with his degree of difficulty jump of a 4.425 back Full double Full Full.

Other USA mens Aerials placements:

• 11. Christopher Lillis
• 13. Connor Curran
• 19. Justin Schoenefeld
• 20. Quinn Dehlinger