Lydia Lassila

Lore & Background

Lydia Lassila was born on 17 January 1982 in Melbourne, Australia, to a Greek-Cypriot father and an Italian mother. She completed her primary schooling at Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Primary School in Sunshine, Victoria, and her secondary education at Methodist Ladies' College, Melbourne and Westbourne Grammar School. She earned a bachelor's degree in Applied Science (Human Movement) at RMIT University. She is married to Lauri Lassila, a Finnish former professional freestyle skier, and has two sons, born after her Olympic medals in 2011 and 2015. In 2020, the family moved from Lorne, Victoria, to Kittilä, Finnish Lapland.

In June 2005, Lassila suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and underwent knee reconstruction using an allograft. During the second qualifying round of the Torino aerials competition, her knee collapsed on impact, re-rup

Reader's Guide

Lydia Lassila is a significant figure in Australian winter sports as one of only two Australian women to win an Olympic gold medal in freestyle skiing aerials, following Alisa Camplin. Her gold at the 2010 Vancouver Games, combined with a bronze in 2014, established her as a consistent performer at the highest level. Her career was marked by multiple knee injuries and comebacks, demonstrating resilience. Beyond competition, she has been recognized with the Sport Australia Hall of Fame's 'The Don' Award in 2010 and was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2023. Her life and career were the subject of the documentary film The Will To Fly (2016). She also contributed as a commentator for the Seven Network during the 2022 Winter Olympics. Her legacy includes inspiring other athletes through her ability to overcome injury and return to elite competition.

Did You Know?

• Lydia Lassila won the 2010 'The Don' Award from the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
• She is of Greek-Cypriot and Italian descent.
• She gave birth to her first son in 2011 after winning gold at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
• In 2020, she moved from Lorne, Victoria, to Kittilä, Finnish Lapland.

A Decade of Resilience on the World Stage

Lydia Lassila's competitive career spans five Winter Olympic Games, from her debut in 2002 through her final appearance in 2018, making her one of Australia's most enduring figures in freestyle skiing. Her path was far from linear. In June 2005 she tore her anterior cruciate ligament and underwent reconstruction using an allograft, a procedure chosen to accelerate her recovery ahead of the 2006 Torino Games. Yet during the second qualifying round of that competition, her knee gave way on a difficult landing, re-rupturing the ligament and forcing her withdrawal. Rather than retire, the then 24-year-old drew strength from teammates Jacqui Cooper and Alisa Camplin, both of whom had overcome similar knee setbacks, and pledged to return. She did, re-entering World Cup racing in December 2007 in China and immediately claiming silver. By the 2007/08 season she sat second in the overall World Cup standings, and the following year she captured her first World Cup title. After a gap, she re-emerged in early 2017, winning three consecutive World Cup events at Deer Valley, Minsk, and Moscow, setting the stage for her 2018 Olympic campaign.

Two Olympic Pivots: Vancouver and Sochi

The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics remain the defining moment of Lassila's career. Arriving as the world number one under intense Australian media scrutiny, she sat in second place after the first jump of the aerials final. In the second round she delivered the highest-scoring jump of the competition. The leader after round one, China's Xu Mengtao, had the final attempt but her failed landing cost her more than 25 points, dropping her to sixth. Lassila's combined total of 214.74 edged out Li Nina's 207.23 for gold, giving Australia its second gold of those Games and the nation's second-ever aerials gold, following Alisa Camplin's 2002 triumph. Four years later in Sochi, Lassila attempted a quad-twisting triple somersault, a trick no woman had successfully landed before. She slammed down on her back, scoring 72.12 on that jump, but her earlier marks of 95.76 and 99.22 carried her to bronze. The contrast between the two Olympic podiums—triumphant and heartbreakingly close to history—encapsulates the emotional range of her competitive life.

Recognition, Legacy, and the Story Beyond the Podium

The accolades that followed her 2010 gold medal were extraordinary in their breadth. Within a single year she collected the Australian Institute of Sport Athlete of the Year honour, the Governor's Award for Victorian Sportsperson of the Year, the Kitty McEwan Award for Victorian Female Athlete of the Year, and the Ski and Snowboard Australia Athlete of the Year title. The Sport Australia Hall of Fame presented her with its prestigious 'The Don' award in October 2010, specifically citing not just her results but her capacity to inspire others. In 2023 she was formally inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, a full thirteen years after her Vancouver triumph. Her story also found a cinematic audience: the feature documentary The Will To Fly, released in Australia in 2016, chronicles her athletic journey and drew strong critical praise. In 2022 she joined the Seven Network commentary team to cover the 2022 Winter Olympics, transitioning from competitor to storyteller for a new generation of viewers.

Family, Heritage, and Life Off the Mountain

Born in Melbourne on 17 January 1982, Lydia Ierodiaconou carries a multicultural heritage: her mother is Italian and her father Cypriot, giving her Greek-Cypriot and Italian roots. She attended Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Primary School in Sunshine, Victoria, before completing secondary education at Methodist Ladies' College and Westbourne Grammar School in Melbourne. She went on to earn a bachelor's degree in Applied Science (Human Movement) from RMIT University. In 2011, shortly after her Vancouver gold, she welcomed her first son; her second arrived in 2015 following the Sochi bronze. Her husband, Lauri Lassila, is a Finnish former professional freestyle skier who placed second in moguls at the 1999 FIS World Championships. In 2020 the family relocated from Lorne, Victoria, to Kittilä in Finnish Lapland, near the Levi ski area. Away from competition she has embraced Australian television, appearing on Australian Survivor: Champions vs. Contenders in 2018 where she dominated physical challenges and formed close bonds with Mat Rogers and Shane Gould before being voted out in 12th place, and returning for All Stars in 2020, where a fire challenge against Phoebe Timmins ended her run on Day 18.

Gallery