China finish sixth in FIS World Championships mixed team aerials

China's team fell just short of medal contention at the FIS World Championships mixed team aerials event in Switzerland on Thursday, settling for sixth place after a tense first-round showdown. The squad, comprised of veterans Qi Guangpu, Xu Mengtao, and Wang Xindi, struggled to capitalize on early opportunities in a high-pressure competition.

Seven teams vied for four coveted spots in the final round. Xu, the reigning Olympic champion, took the first jump but stumbled on landing, earning 59.61 points—placing seventh overall. Wang followed with a technically challenging routine but faltered slightly, scoring 94.69. Team anchor Qi delivered a polished final jump, notching 119.03 points, but the cumulative score fell short of the top four cutoff for the second round.

"Today's competition venue is very close to next year's Winter Olympics site, so this serves as a preview for us to acclimatize to the conditions at the Milan Winter Olympics venue. Most domestic ski resorts are extremely cold, with snow textures closer to ice, but the snow here resembles mud. That means we'll need some time to experience and adapt to these differences," said Qi.

The U.S. team clinched gold in dominant fashion, with all three jumpers surpassing the 100-point mark in the final round. Their 344.63 points secured victory, while Ukraine and Switzerland rounded out the podium.