NORTHERN ITALY — The second full week of the Milan and Cortina Winter Olympics is underway and a local gold medalist is set to take to the air.
Pittsford’s Chris Lillis will compete on Tuesday in the qualifying round of men’s aerials at the Livigno Aerials and Moguls Park. It comes four years after Lillis won gold in the aerial freestyle skiing team event in Beijing. You can watch the competition live on Peacock starting at 7:30 a.m. Eastern Time and watch it again on NBC starting at noon.
In addition, there will be a watch party at Bristol Mountain that starts at 7 a.m. Lillis began his career as a member of the Bristol Mountain Freestyle Team and has inspired many of the next generation of skiers.
RELATED: See our complete Olympics coverage, from local athletes to the biggest stories
Unlike Beijing, Lillis will get to compete in front of fans this year and interact with other athletes without worrying about the COVID-19 pandemic. News10NBC spoke with Lillis about how he got into aerial skiing and how he’s preparing to compete. We also spoke with Lillis’ parents about how their children got into aerial skiing and their support for Lillis. The aerials finals will take place on Thursday, Feb. 19.
News10NBC is your home for the Olympics and has been tracking some of the biggest stories from the games. We’ve also been following the journeys of Rochester-native Olympians.
What’s next for U.S. women’s hockey and Haley Winn?
Team USA and Webster native defender Haley Winn dominated Sweden in the quarterfinals of women’s hockey on Monday, beating them 5-0. Team USA continued its dominance, winning all four group-stage games and beating host nation Italy 6-0 in the quarterfinals on Friday. They will play for gold on Thursday. The puck drops at 1:10 p.m. Eastern Time.
Winn, a Bishop Kearney graduate, scored her first Olympic goal against Switzerland in the group stages and later scored an assist during the 5-0 victory against Canada. Her brothers have turned into a viral sensation by all dressing in matching Team USA-themed outfits and together cheering every game. News10NBC spoke with them about their support for their sister, how they got into hockey, and where they get their outfits.
Bishop Kearney’s connections to Team USA and beyond
Haley Winn isn’t the only Bishop Kearney graduate on the U.S. women’s hockey team. Caroline Harvey (defender) of New Hampshire, Laila Edwards (forward) of Ohio, Kirsten Simms (forward) of Michigan, and Ava McNaughton (goalie) of Pennsylvania all graduated from Bishop Kearney. In addition, goalie Michaela Hesová, who competes for Czechia, and Nina Christof and Jule Schiefer, who both compete for Germany, graduated from Bishop Kearney. You can read more about them here.
Bishop Kearney has been a longtime powerhouse in girls’ hockey, attracting talent from across the world. The BK Selects 16U and 19U teams held a watch party on Tuesday for the USA vs. Canada game. News10NBC spoke with some of the student-athletes at the watch party.
How did Ontario County’s Dylan Walczyk do?
Dylan Walczyk, a former Bristol Mountain athlete who also competed in Beijing, finished 13th in the finals of men’s moguls on Thursday and made it to the quarterfinals of the dual moguls on Sunday.
For moguls, a skier will get a score of up to 100 points, which is based 60% on turns, 20% on air, and 20% on speed. Walczyk earned a score of 77.62 on Thursday in the moguls finals, but fell short of making it to the second round, reserved for only the top eight finishers. Australia’s Cooper Woods took the gold medal for moguls, followed by Canada’s Mikael Kingsbury with silver, and Japan’s Ikuma Horishima with bronze.
In dual moguls, which made its Olympic debut this year, skiers compete side-by-side on the course and only one moves on. Walczyk beat South Korea’s Yoonseung Lee, then Australia’s George Murphy, but lost to Horishima, who went on win silver and add another medal to his collection. Kingsbury won gold after defeating Horishima in the finals, giving him his fifth Olympic medal. Australia’s Matt Graham won bronze.
Other local connections to the Olympics
There are other Rochester connections to the Winter Olympics. Emily Renna, a Fairport native, has been chosen as an alternate athlete for women’s bobsled for Team USA. She finished fourth at the 2025 World Championships for the two-woman bobsleigh.
In addition, Erin Zach, a 2014 graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology, will serve as a linesperson for women’s hockey during the Olympics. She played hockey for RIT.
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