Winter Vinecki became the first American woman to win a World Cup aerials competition in nearly three years, landing the most difficult jumps in the field en route to her second career World Cup victory.
Vinecki, a 24-year-old who placed 15th at the 2022 Olympics, prevailed with a lay-full-full that scored 94.25 points in the super final in Changchun, China, on Saturday.
Vinecki started competing triple flips this season and placed eighth in the previous World Cup stop, the season opener on Dec. 3 in Ruka, Finland. It is rare for female aerialists to consistently compete triples.
She beat a field Saturday that included reigning world champion Kong Fanyu of China (second place) and reigning World Cup season champion Danielle Scott of Australia (sixth).
China’s Xu Mengtao made her first start since winning last year’s Olympics and placed 11th.
Vinecki ran a marathon on all seven continents, including the Antarctica Marathon, before turning 15.
She missed the 2018 Olympic team after fracturing the right side of her face in a freak summer 2017 water-ramp training accident, needing two titanium plates inserted.
She earned her first World Cup win in January 2021 en route to becoming the first Winter Olympian ever with the first name “Winter,” according to Olympedia.org.
Also Saturday, American Chris Lillis took second in the men’s aerials event won by Swiss Pirmin Werner.
