Brazil’s Lucas Pinheiro Braathen wins giant slalom, delivers South America’s first Winter Olympics medal
On Saturday (ET) in Bormio, Lucas Pinheiro Braathen produced a career-defining performance to claim gold in the men's giant slalom, becoming the first athlete representing a South American nation to win a medal at the Winter Olympics. The 25-year-old roared down the course on his opening run, built a commanding lead and held on through a tense second descent to finish ahead of Marco Odermatt and Loïc Meillard.
Dominant first run, nerve in the second — the race that made history
Pinheiro Braathen opened with an electrifying first run that put him 0. 95 seconds clear of the field, stamping his authority early on a day of heavy snow and patchy fog. Only seven competitors finished within two seconds of his pace, a testament to the margin he established on the top portion of the course. Though his second run featured a few ragged turns and a slight loss of rhythm, he managed his line and composure to cross the finish 0. 58 seconds ahead of Odermatt, the reigning Olympic champion.
At the base of the slope, emotion flooded over him: he collapsed into the snow, wept, rose and lifted his skis in triumph before embracing his father. His helmet—emblazoned with the phrase "Vamos Dancar"—became an emblem for the exuberant style he brought to the event. "Your difference is your superpower, " he said in the mixed zone, urging young people who feel out of place to trust who they are.
An unconventional road: Oslo beginnings, a switch to Brazil and a return to the podium
Pinheiro Braathen’s path to Olympic gold was far from conventional. Born in Oslo to a Norwegian father and a Brazilian mother, he learned to ski after being introduced to the sport at age eight. He previously competed for Norway, including at the Beijing Olympics, where he failed to finish in both slalom and giant slalom. After claiming the World Cup slalom title in 2023, he stepped away from competition in part because he felt constrained in how he could present himself and manage commercial partnerships.
He returned to the racing circuit in 2024 under the Brazilian flag—the country of his mother and the place where he spent parts of his childhood. His public profile, which extends beyond sport into fashion and entrepreneurship, made him a visible ambassador for winter sport in a nation better known for beaches and soccer than alpine slopes. Representing Brazil, he has repeatedly framed his decision as one rooted in identity and freedom; Saturday’s victory offered the most dramatic evidence yet that the gamble paid off.
Podium, national reaction and wider significance
Odermatt took silver and Meillard earned bronze in a Swiss one-two-three that could not overshadow the broader significance of the result. The medal ends a long void for South America at the Winter Games and instantly redefines what is possible for athletes from regions without a long winter-sport tradition.
After the ceremony, Pinheiro Braathen said the moment was larger than sport: he wanted young Brazilians and other underrepresented athletes to see the victory as proof that circumstances need not limit ambition. For a delegation that was relatively small on paper, his gold delivers an outsized legacy—both for Brazil’s winter sports program and for the idea that an athlete’s background can be a source of distinct advantage on the world stage.
